'Israeli' soldiers spark outrage by claiming watermelon as 'Israeli' symbol
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Viral video showing 'Israeli' soldiers mocking and claiming the watermelon as an 'Israeli' symbol have sparked widespread backlash online, with users highlighting the fruit's long-standing association with Palestinian identity and resistance.
This comes amid a wave of 'Israelis' on social media attempting to present the symbol as part of 'Israeli' culture.
- A symbol born from prohibition -
The watermelon became associated with Palestinian resistance following the 1967 War, when 'Israeli' authorities imposed restrictions on the public display of the Palestinian flag and its colors in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Palestinians began using the watermelon as an alternative symbol because its red flesh, black seeds, and green-and-white rind mirror the four colors of the Palestinian flag.
The fruit's symbolism was also embraced by Palestinian artists. In 1980, 'Israeli' forces shut down Gallery 79 in Ramallah, where works by Palestinian artists including Sliman Mansour, Nabil Anani and Issam Bader were being exhibited.
According to Mansour, artists were told during a meeting with military officials that displaying the colors of the Palestinian flag in artwork was prohibited. When Bader asked whether he could paint a watermelon using the same colors, he was reportedly told that the painting would also be confiscated.
The episode further cemented the watermelon as a symbol of artistic resistance.
