CNN Indonesia
Thursday, 02 Nov 2023 09:30 WIB
The image of a watermelon has once again enlivened social media as a symbol of support for Palestine, which is still being battered by Israel due to its war with Hamas. (AFP/AHMAD GHARABLI)
Jakarta, CNN Indonesia —
Picture of fruit watermelon There has been a lot of buzz on social media lately to show support for Palestine which is still under attack Israel the impact of the war with Hamas since 7 October.
The red fleshy fruit full of seeds has appeared in various netizens’ posts and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in various countries.
This tropical fruit is often associated with a symbol of support for Palestinians. What does it mean?
History of the Palestinian watermelon
The use of a watermelon image as a symbol of Palestine is not the first time this has happened.
This fruit first appeared after the Six Day War in 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza and annexed East Jerusalem.
At that time, the Israeli government declared that displaying the Palestinian flag would be considered a criminal offense in Gaza and the West Bank.
Quoted Time, to avoid this prohibition, the Palestinians then get around it by using watermelon. When cut open, the appearance of a watermelon resembles the Palestinian national flag, namely its red flesh, black seeds and green skin.
However, the Israeli government quickly realized the meaning of this watermelon. Authorities also expanded the ban not only to flags, but also images of watermelons or anything that includes the three colors.
Artist Sliman Mansour told The National in 2021 that Israeli officials in 1980 closed exhibitions in 79 galleries in Ramallah only because they detected the use of the three colors of the Palestinian national flag.
“They told us that painting the Palestinian flag was prohibited, as was painting in the colors of the flag. So Issam (artist Issam Badrl) asked, ‘What if I make red, green and white flowers?’, the officer answered angrily ‘I will confiscated. Even if you paint a watermelon, it will be confiscated’,” he said.
The ban on the Palestinian flag was only lifted in 1993, after the Oslo Accords which required mutual recognition by Israel and Palestine. This agreement is the first formal Israeli-Palestinian agreement to try to resolve the two regions’ conflict in decades.
The New York Times has also noted the role of the watermelon as a symbol of Palestine during the flag ban. According to the report, young people in the Gaza Strip were arrested for carrying watermelon slices while protesting.
The use of watermelon as a symbol of Palestine also spread in 2007 during the Second Intifada. In 2021, watermelon also made a comeback when an Israeli court ordered Palestinian families in East Jerusalem to be evicted from their homes to make way for settlers.
In January 2023, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir gave the country’s police the authority to confiscate Palestinian flags.
This move was then followed by a vote to ban the Palestinian flag from being displayed at government-funded institutions, including universities. This bill initially passed, but was canceled after Israel dissolved parliament.
In June, Zazim, an Arab-Israeli community organization, launched a campaign to protest the arrest and confiscation of the flag.
Along with this protest, pictures of watermelons were displayed on taxis operating in Tel Aviv.
“Our message to the government is clear: we will always find ways to avoid unreasonable bans and we will not stop fighting for freedom of expression and democracy,” said Zazim director Raluca Ganea.
(blq/rds)
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2023-11-02 02:30:25
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