In solidarity marches with Palestinians around the world, many people are seen wearing a black and white headscarf. It is called Kefieh. Similarly, protesters are seen carrying large keys. Again, children are seen being carried on their backs. Some also brought painted watermelons. These essentially represent the various traditions of Palestine, which over time have become symbols of the resistance war against Israeli occupation.
1. keffiyeh
Kefieh is also called Kufia. It is a large square cotton handkerchief widely used in the Arab world. These handkerchiefs designed in unique patterns are worn by all Palestinian men and women. This cloth of black dore on a white background has become a symbol of the Palestinian freedom struggle.
The jaytun leaf pattern on the handkerchief symbolizes dynamism, power and status. The pattern of fishing nets indicates the Mediterranean connection with the Palestinian fishermen and people. And the thick pattern represents the trade routes of neighboring traders in Palestine.
In the Middle East, handkerchiefs are mainly used to protect from the heat. It originally became popular during the Arab Revolt against British colonial rule in the 1930s.
The keffiyeh was also the personal style of late undisputed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. He would fold it into a triangle shape and cover his head over his shoulders.
It has now become a symbol of support for Palestine around the world. Common people, human rights activists and various organizations use it.
2. Olive branch
The olive tree has deep historical and cultural ties to Palestine. Zaytun branches have been carrying messages of peace and prosperity for thousands of years.
The strong trunk of the olive tree can withstand drought, sub-zero temperatures, frost and even fire. It represents the persistence of Palestinians against Israeli occupation and their pulsating relationship with the land.
Zaitoon plays a major role in the Palestinian economy through the production of many products including oil and soap. Between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinian families make a living by growing olives. Zaytun fruits are collected in October-November every year. This is a festive time for them. However, at this time, repeated Israeli aggression destroyed all the joy.
According to UN estimates, more than 5,000 Palestinian olive trees were damaged in the West Bank in the first 5 months of 2023.
In 1974, Yasser Arafat, the leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told the United Nations General Assembly, ‘Today I come with a branch of Zaytun in one hand and the gun of a freedom fighter in the other. Let not the branch of Zaytun fall from my hand. I say again, do not let the olive branch fall from my hand.’
3. Palestinian embroidery
Palestinian embroidery art is also called Tatreez. Needlework is an aesthetic art, hand-held by Palestinian women that has been passed down from generation to generation.
Different regions of Palestine have developed several distinct styles of tatrij in light of their lifestyles and preferences. Each style has a different story behind it. From nature inspired motifs like trees to geometrical motifs are also used.
Palestinian women wear a loose, embroidered garment, called a sawab in Arabic. They are usually made of jute, cotton, wool or silk and are either hand woven or machine made. Red embroidery is the dominant color; Although it varies by region or artist.
In 2021, UNESCO added traditional Palestinian embroidery to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
4. Palestinian key
In 1948, the Zionist occupation forces expelled 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in what is known as the Naqaba (Nakba) or Catastrophe. People take house keys with them when they evacuate. Because they believe, they will definitely return home one day.
Many Palestinians still hold keys to their original homes as a symbol of their hope and determination. These keys have been passed down for generations and have come to symbolize the Palestinians’ right to return home.
Israel’s latest offensive in Gaza displaced nearly 1.5 million Palestinians, twice as many as during the 1948 Nakbar. For Palestinians, the Nakba is not a historical event; This has become an ongoing process of their intermittent displacement.
5. Map of Palestine
The historical map of Palestine represents the geographic boundaries associated with the region prior to the establishment of Israel in 1948. The map is a visible symbol of the Palestinian claim to land and independence.
In 1948, the Zionist military occupied 78 percent of this map by expelling 750,000 Palestinians. The remaining 22 percent is nominally held by the Palestinians, in what is now known as the occupied West Bank and the besieged Gaza Strip.
Currently, 7 million registered Palestinians are living inhumane conditions inside the country and in refugee camps in neighboring countries. The Palestinian refugee issue is one of the world’s most enduring unresolved issues.
Many gift items, including necklaces, t-shirts, and key chains, use the Palestinian map to show solidarity with the country’s freedom-seeking people.
6. Al-Aqsa compound
At the root of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which is located in Jerusalem. The 35-acre compound has deep religious, cultural and political significance to the Palestinians, including the Al-Qibli Mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
According to Islamic belief, it was from Al-Aqsa that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) went to Miraj. Therefore, it is considered one of the holiest places in Islam after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nababi in Madinah. The compound is known as al-Haram ash-Sharif to Muslims and the Temple Mount to Jews.
This premise is always at the center of discussion. Because the Israeli forces repeatedly attack here and impose various restrictions on Muslims.
7. Hanjala
Hanjala is a cartoon character drawn by Palestinian cartoonist Naji Al-Ali. Through this, he has highlighted his childhood experiences of refugee life and the plight of displaced Palestinians. The cartoon was first published in a Kuwaiti newspaper in 1969.
After the October War of 1973, Al-Ali began drawing cartoons of Hanzala showing his back to show how the whole world had turned its back on Palestine. Through Hanjala, the artist traces his childhood, leaving home at the age of 10 and taking refuge in a refugee camp wearing tattered clothes and walking barefoot.
It is named after the bitter fruit ‘hanjal’ grown in the dry areas of Palestine. If these trees are cut down, they grow back. And its roots are very deep.
In 1987, cartoonist Naji Al-Ali was murdered by unknown assailants in London. So far no one has been charged in this murder.
8. watermelon
The watermelon perhaps most vividly represents Palestine. Grown from Jenin to Gaza, this fruit looks like the Palestinian flag. Like a flag, this fruit has red, green, white and black parts. It is therefore used by Palestinians as a symbol of their flag when protesting against Israeli aggression.
After the 1967 war, when Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip and occupied East Jerusalem, the occupiers banned the Palestinian flag from the occupied territories. However, the flag could not be banned by law. Liberation people began to display watermelons as a symbol of resistance. As a result, watermelons are widely used in art media, t-shirts, graffiti, posters and even social media emojis.
In January this year, police were ordered to confiscate Palestinian flags from public gatherings. This was followed in June by a bill banning flags in state-funded institutions. In response, the grassroots human rights organization Jazim plastered dozens of taxis in Tel Aviv with pictures of watermelons.
People are using the watermelon emoji to post about the ongoing war in Gaza. Because the use of the Palestinian flag in various social media is practically prohibited.
References: Al-Jazeera
