The fruit that has become a Palestinian icon

This sweet summer fruit has become a Palestinian Arab symbol only because of an inaccurate story

WatermeloniStock

In recent days, there has been a growing trend among pro-Palestinian users to display a watermelon emoji on their X, TikTok, and Instagram handles.

Over the years, the watermelon has become the symbol of Palestinian Arab nationalism, probably because it is a Mediterranean fruit whose colors match the color of the Palestinian flag.

So, many posts by Hamas and other pro-Palestinian Arab supporters have been decorated with the “innocent” fruit, and a watermelon has been added to the designs of quite a few published posters.

User @sueannajoe encouraged the trend and wrote: "Feel free to use this picture (a picture of a watermelon) as your profile picture."

They further explained that the trend originated with an Israeli soldier who allegedly warned a Palestinian Ara

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שירת 'אני מאמין' במהלך צילום תמונת אלפי שליחי חבד בכינוס השנתיתמונה: שניאור שיף, col

b artist after he displayed a watermelon in his painting that the painting of the watermelon contained the colors of the Palestinian flag.

Nevertheless, media channels' online research did not find any such case, and it is likely that this is a myth that developed during the Second Intifada and has been circulating in Palestinian Arab circles ever since.