Israel Faces Global Isolation Amid Protests Against Gaza Attacks
Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza, which have lasted for more than three weeks since the October 7 assault by Hamas, have sparked global outrage. The devastating attack, resulting in the deaths of over 8,000 people, including numerous children, has drawn widespread condemnation. As a consequence, Israel now finds itself increasingly isolated on the international stage.
A peculiar symbol of protest against Israel has emerged in the form of watermelons. Banners and floats adorned with watermelon imagery have become prominent in pro-Palestinian demonstrations worldwide. In an act of solidarity, Palestinian supporters have flooded social media with watermelon emojis. This peculiar choice of symbolism carries a deeper significance with several reasons behind its adoption.
Watermelon: An Emblem of Resistance
The Palestinian flag, with its colors red, white, black, and green, encapsulates the essence of Palestinian culture and identity. Watermelons, symbolically tied to the nation’s literary heritage, are abundantly grown across Palestine, from Jenin to Gaza.
In the face of Israel’s suppression and restrictions on Palestinian identity, watermelons have become an emblem of resistance. Following the 1967 Six Day War when Israel seized control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, displaying the Palestinian flag in public became an offense in the occupied territory. Not only the flag but various other aspects of Palestinian culture were also banned.
Renowned artist Sliman Mansour revealed that Israeli officials obstructed an art exhibition in Ramallah in 1980, which featured his works alongside other artists such as Nabil Anani and Issam Badarl. Furthermore, he disclosed, “They also said it was a crime to paint the Palestinian flag, and the colors on the flag were banned.”
To circumvent these prohibitions, Palestinians ingeniously adopted the watermelon as a symbol of protest. Watermelon imagery began appearing on art, shirts, murals, posters, and even as emojis on social media platforms.
Watermelons Reignite Protests in 2023
In January 2023, the Palestinian flag once again grabbed international attention. Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gwiri, issued instructions to police authorities to confiscate Palestinian flags from public spaces. Subsequently, in June, a bill banning the flag in government-funded institutions, including universities, received preliminary approval from Israel’s parliament, the Senate.
Moreover, a recent incident involving the arrest of a young woman waving the flag during a pride parade has fueled tensions. Although the police claimed she attacked the officers while they attempted to seize the flag, an Arab-Israeli peace organization named Sassim spearheaded a campaign to protest these crackdowns on flag-waving activities. As part of their campaign, they placed watermelon visuals in shared taxis across Tel Aviv, highlighting that the images were not Palestinian flags.
“We will always find a way to overcome any ban, and we will not stop fighting for freedom of expression and democracy,” stated SASIM director Raluca Gania, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Watermelons continue to be a prevalent symbol in anti-Israel protests, particularly on social media platforms. Some reports have suggested that protesters in Germany, where pro-Palestinian protests and symbols are banned, have resorted to using watermelons as a means to express their discontent. As global support for Palestine grows, all eyes are now on Israel to see how it responds to this mounting pressure.
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Israel has been attacking Gaza for more than three weeks since the October 7 attack by Hamas. More than 8,000 people, including thousands of children, were killed in the attack. As pro-Palestinian protests spread across the world, the Jewish state of Israel faces isolation.
Banners and floats with images of watermelons are emerging as symbols of protest against Israel. Palestinian supporters have been posting watermelon emojis on social media in solidarity. There are a few reasons behind this. Do you know what that is?
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Watermelon is a symbol of resistance
The colors of the Palestinian flag are red, white, black and green. And this result symbolizes the culture and personality of the state. Watermelons are grown throughout Palestine from Jenin to Gaza. Watermelon has also been used extensively in the country’s literary works.
Over the years, it has become a symbol of resistance used by Palestinians to protest against Israel’s suppression of their identity.
After the 1967 Six Day War, when Israel seized control of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, the government made it a crime to display the Palestinian flag in public in the occupied territory. But Israel banned not only the flag but many other things.
Artist Sliman Mansour told The National in 2021 that Israeli officials blocked an art exhibition in Ramallah in 1980 that featured works by him and other artists, including Nabil Anani and Issam Badarl. “They also said it was a crime to paint the Palestinian flag, and the colors on the flag were banned,” said artist Slimane.
But to avoid this ban, Palestinians have started using the watermelon as a symbol of protest. Images of watermelons began to appear on art, shirts, murals, posters, and even as emojis on social media.
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The ban on the Palestinian flag was lifted with the signing of the Oslo Accords of 1993, the first formal agreement to resolve the conflict with Israel. But in the Gaza Strip, youths were once arrested for carrying sliced watermelons, journalist John Kifner wrote in an article in the New York Times.
Watermelons and the 2023 protests
In January 2023, the Palestinian flag returned to the world’s attention. Israel’s Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gwiri, has instructed the police to confiscate Palestinian flags from public places. In June, a bill to ban the flag in government-funded institutions, including universities, was passed after receiving initial approval from Israel’s parliament, the Senate, according to a report in Haaretz.
Furthermore, a young woman was recently arrested for waving a flag during a pride parade. But the police claimed that when trying to grab the flag, they attacked the officers and that’s why the woman was arrested. The Arab-Israeli peace organization Sassim launched a campaign to protest the crackdown on people waving flags in public. The campaign involved placing pictures of watermelons on shared taxis in Tel Aviv. The posters came with the message that this is not a Palestinian flag, The Times of Israel reported.
“We will always find a way to overcome any ban and we will not stop fighting for freedom of expression and democracy,” the outlet reported, citing SASIM director Raluca Gania.
Watermelons are still seen in anti-Israel protests, especially in social media posts. Some have claimed that protesters in Germany, which has banned pro-Palestinian protests and symbols, are using watermelons to express their anger. Meanwhile, support for Palestine is growing, and it remains to be seen how Israel will respond.
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