In a nutshell, a timeline of the soft-power of fruit in the occupation of Palestine.
So what’s up with all the watermelon emojis? From general internet knowledge, it might seem obvious that sporting a watermelon emoji in your bio or comments signals support for Palestine as the Israeli occupation continues.
Yet the watermelon was not always the emblem it has grown to be. In a 2004 article entitled The Orange and the “Cross in the Crescent”: Imagining Palestine in 1929, T. Sorek analyses discussions and proposals for a Palestinian flag in the late 1920s, showing how national symbolism has evolved over time.
Photo by Beyzaa Yurtkuran: https://www.pexels.com/photo/sticker-with-a-palestinian-flag-19032028/
What currently serves as the Palestinian flag was once a broader symbol of Arab resistance against colonialism. It was later adapted to reflect the specific identity of individual nations — hence the 1929 discussions around establishing a distinct Palestinian flag.
That same year, when the Palestinian newspaper Filastin (or Falastin) invited readers to submit flag designs, one symbol repeatedly appeared: the orange.
A feature from the Institute for Palestinian Studies details the history of Jaffa oranges, world-renowned for their quality and largely exported from Palestine. Their economic and cultural importance helps explain why many proposed including the colour orange in an early Palestinian flag.
Various Arab flags, collage by Léna Couartou
However, as significant as the orange industry was to Palestinians, it became entangled in the politics of land and labour under Zionist settlement. Fertile land was increasingly acquired, production was centralised, and by the mid-1930s, policies promoting Jewish-only labour were introduced.
Over time, what had been a cornerstone of Palestine’s export economy became internationally branded as the “Jaffa Orange, product of Israel.”
And what of the watermelon?
After the Six-Day War in 1967, when Israel occupied the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, the Palestinian flag was banned in certain public contexts. Because a sliced watermelon contains the same colours as the flag — red, green, white, and black — it became an indirect symbol of resistance. Protesters carried watermelons in public spaces, and the fruit began appearing in paintings and graffiti.
This symbolic workaround did not last untouched. By 1980, the use of the four flag colors in politically charged artworks was banned, reflecting ongoing attempts to curb visual expressions of resistance.
The colour ban was lifted following the Oslo Accords in 1993, allowing the Palestinian flag to reappear more openly. The watermelon, however, has endured as a symbol — particularly in digital spaces.
In an era where social media is a battleground between propaganda and resistance, the humble watermelon emoji is far more than a simple click on a keyboard.
Photo by Xach Hill from Pexels: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-holding-flags-8343533/
