How the Watermelon Emoji Became a Symbol for Resistance
Amidst the rubble, the horrors and the uproars of the world, a seemingly unbecoming fruit emerged as an unlikely yet powerful symbol for resistance and solidarity against the backdrop of despair. The watermelon now stands as a testament of the Palestinian people’s unwavering spirit against the violence of the Israeli occupation.
In August 1967, the Israeli army criminalized the gathering of more than ten people around an issue of a political nature and banned any political symbol as well as the display of the Palestinian flag altogether. 1 In response to the denial of culture and self-expression, Palestinians turned to visual arts as a means to assert their voices.
In 1980, the artists Sliman Mansour, Nabil Anani, and Issam Badr were arrested for the display of their work in an art gallery in Ramallah that was deemed too patriotic. One of the artists then turned to the Israeli military officer to ask if he was even allowed to paint flowers using the colors of the Palestinian flag, to which the officers replied, “even if you paint a watermelon, it will be confiscated”. 2
Artist Sliman Mansour.3
Palestinian-Jordinian artist Beesan Arafat depicts a slice of watermelon on a Hebron plate.4
The watermelon is more than a simple fruit for the Palestinians, just like the olive tree, it embodies a particular cultural significance. Under the scorching Middle Eastern sun, the red, green, white, and black fruit has been grown for centuries, its roots entrenched from the West Bank to Gaza, becoming a staple unit of the Palestinian diet and dishes. Amid the brutal onset of the Israeli occupation, farmers began losing access to their land and resources. Despite the crops reducing every year, its continual cultivation in the face of adversity stands as a testament of the Palestinian people’s determination to thrive and survive despite all odds. 5
In the face of this oppression, Palestinians protesters even waged slices of watermelon in the face of the Israeli military. In a New York Times article entitled “A Palestinian Version of the Judgement of Solomon”, published on October 16, 1993, John Kifner writes, “Until recently in the Gaza Strip, Palestinians were arrested for carrying watermelon slices because the colors were the same as those of their banned flag." 6 The watermelon bears witness to the violence and upholds the Palestinian voice against the brutality of occupation.
Inspired by the officer’s, the artist Khaled Hourani created the “Watermelon Flag” in 2007 ignited by the events of the second Intifada. The flag will go on and be displayed all over the world and start to be widely used as a symbol of political protest for Palestine beyond its borders. 7
Khaled Hourani's work 'The Colours of the Palestinian Flag', on view at the Centre for Contemporary Arts Glasgow in 2014. Courtesy the artist.
Yet, it wasn’t until the Sheikh Jarrah expulsions of 2021, that the watermelon symbol gained widespread prominence in protests. As Palestinian families faced mass displacement from their homes, the watermelon emerged as a defying response to silencing of Palestinian voices and the violation of their rights. Simultaneously, the watermelon emoji gained traction online, becoming a powerful tool to advocate in solidarity while evading the media giants’ attempts at censorship and algorithmic shadow banning. 8
October 7th, 2023, marks the start of the deadliest conflict between Israel and Hamas, unleashing unprecedented violence upon the Palestinian people. As the death toll relentlessly climbs, a global outcry intensifies, demanding to cease the violence through the ubiquitous presence of the watermelon. The fruit saturates the internet, floods the streets and permeates our collective consciousness. In the midst of this turmoil, the watermelon becomes a beacon of hope, its seeds scattered wide and far uphold the belief of a future where peace and justice prevail.
Demonstrators holding signs in the colors of the Palestinian flag with a watermelon or the word “freedom” on them, on July 23, 2023, in Jerusalem, Israel.9
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References
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5. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2023/8/31/the-fruits-of-palestine-and-their-symbolism
7. https://beursschouwburg.be/en/events/khaled-hourani-the-story-of-the-watermelon/
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9. https://www.newagebd.net/article/216897/the-red-green-white-and-black