Just hearing the name watermelons makes everyone’s tongue tingle. So watermelon is a popular food. A fruit If there is anyone who does not eat watermelon, it is few. Often a little too little. The taste and quality of watermelons is very high. That is why it is a popular fruit amongst everyone in the world. However, watermelon has become an enemy of Israel. It has a beautiful history. Watermelon, a delicious fruit, has been caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
History of the watermelon slice
Lifting the Palestinian flag is prohibited. Therefore, this situation has been created with the Palestinians using watermelons instead of the flag to represent their nationality. This story has a beautiful history of more than 50 years. During the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israel annexed East Jerusalem and took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip of Palestine. Accordingly, Israel also banned the hoisting of the Palestinian flag there. Display of the flag or flag colours was grounds for arrest. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is like the fires under the ashes. Like them, this conflict also flares up from time to time. However, the law against raising the flag was removed under the Oslo Accords, and as a result, the right was restored to the Palestinians in 1993. Until then, the Palestinian people, who could not raise the flag, carried watermelon slices with red, green, white and black colours to represent their nationality. The Palestinian people made various representations of their condition by drawing pictures of watermelon slices and decorating the covers of books with watermelon slices. This is how the Palestinians convinced the world that art can do more than politics and world powers.
Fire under the ashes – how to burn
By 2023, the situation changed again. The Israeli police receive a particular order from the country’s government. That is, to confiscate Palestinian flags displayed in public places. Meanwhile, a few months later, it also banned the display of the Palestinian flag in government institutions. This ban was imposed by passing a particular act last June. At the same time, the watermelon pelt display started again. Displaying watermelon slices on posters and various boards, Palestinians emphasised that this is not the national flag of Palestine. Watermelon is a fruit that grows abundantly in Palestine. The combination of red, green, black and white colours has contributed to the perfect representation of Palestine. The reason is that it can make a representation similar to the combination of colours of the Palestinian national flag.
Despite the current crisis, the Palestinian people have been tempted to use this practice. In the past, the world has seen protests with watermelon slices. Holding watermelon slices in their hands and pasting the slices on their faces, others protested with pictures of watermelon slices in their hands. Every Palestinian discussing the conflict in Gaza is tempted to use watermelon slices. Accordingly, watermelon has now become a world-class symbol.
One of the best ways to avoid bans
Foreign commentators point out that the Palestinians have taken the opportunity to express their opinions without being banned. Since it is not a flag or a banned substance, social media posts featuring watermelons are not blocked. Moreover, the law does not have the opportunity to operate. In these circumstances, Palestine has chosen the most appropriate symbol to express its nationality and pride to the world.
However, watermelon has become a powerful symbol of the Palestinians. Even in other countries, eating watermelon has gone so far as to create unique interpretations. This clarifies that the Palestinian people are interested in portraying resistance and not backing down. The display of watermelon rinds cannot be taken for granted, symbolising determination, peace and freedom.
White cloth with black square
The white and black checked cloth is a powerful symbol of the Arab world. It features an olive leaf pattern representing perseverance, strength and resilience. The fishnet pattern represents the Palestinian fishermen and the people’s connection to the Mediterranean Sea. In contrast, the dark band in the middle of the fabric represents the trade route with neighbouring merchants.
The history of the use of this cloth dates back to the 1930s. That decade was when the Arab Revolt was launched against British rule. It can be identified that the Arab warriors were the first to use this square piece of cloth to protect themselves from the intense heat of the sun. It can be called a practice that shows the identity of the former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and it was Arafat’s practice to fold the cloth around his shoulders in a triangular pattern. However, that practice has now become a global symbol of Palestinian partisans.
The World Has Forgotten Palestine – Cartoons Under Pressure
Palestinians are a nation capable of displaying their identity through symbolic representations. A nation that works with the hope of returning when it is kicked out of the country. Moreover, the people of Palestine believe that the world is turning its back on Palestine. It sometimes feels true. The opinion of the Palestinian people is confirmed to be true in the face of issues such as the fact that there has been no intervention to provide a permanent solution to battered Palestine for many years. However, they are displaying that nature to the world through symbols. This view has been popularised in Palestine using cartoons with their backs turned to the reader. They present their opinion to the world using a newspaper cartoon drawn in 1973.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is far from over. It captures the intentions of a group of people living in a world with common expectations. Everything is a request—deprivation of the right to life. The Palestinians are making various efforts to ease the pressure. They present life’s harsh reality to the world through various symbols.
