The watermelon symbolizes Palestine because its red flesh, green rind, black seeds and white pith reproduce exactly the four colors of the Palestinian flag. This association emerged in the context of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza after the Six-Day War, which took place from June 5 to 10, 1967: an Israeli military order, still partially in force in the West Bank today, long prohibited the display of the Palestinian flag and its colors. Since October 2023, this symbol has experienced a global viral resurgence on social media, becoming a rallying sign for millions of people, far beyond the usual activist circles.
Why is the watermelon associated with Palestine?
Two months after the beginning of the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, the Israeli military authorities issued Military Order No. 101, which prohibited gatherings of ten or more people on subjects "that may be interpreted as political," as well as the display of the Palestinian flag or any emblem with political meaning without military authorization. According to Amnesty International, this prohibition targeted both private homes and schools and public buildings. This order remains applicable in the West Bank today, although its concrete application has varied greatly depending on the period.
Cut in half, the watermelon naturally displays the four forbidden colors: the red of the flesh, the green of the rind, the white of the inner part and the black of the seeds. It is this chromatic coincidence, more than any organized decision, that made the fruit a roundabout and peaceful way of displaying a national identity that the law sought to erase — impossible to confiscate without ridicule.
Where exactly does this story come from? A legend with uncertain origins
Contrary to what many articles repeat, the precise origin of the symbol has not been clearly established. An investigation by the newspaper The National published in 2021 traced the different versions of this story, which the paper qualifies as a "contemporary myth."
The most cited anecdote concerns Palestinian artists Sliman Mansour, Nabil Anani and Issam Badr, whose exhibition at Gallery 79 in Ramallah was closed by the Israeli army in 1980, on the grounds that the works displayed reproduced Palestinian national colors and motifs. Faced with the prohibition on painting the flag or its colors, Issam Badr reportedly asked: "What if I painted a watermelon?", to which the Israeli officer reportedly replied angrily: "It will be confiscated too." Interviewed by The National in 2021, Sliman Mansour — today one of the most internationally recognized Palestinian painters — confirmed this exchange, but clarified that he does not remember artists of that era actually having used the watermelon as a political motif in their works. He insisted that the anecdote, as it circulates today, has probably been amplified and simplified over time.
A New York Times article from October 1993 mentioned arrests of young men in Gaza for carrying watermelon slices — but the paper has since clarified that it was unable to verify this detail, which therefore remains an unconfirmed allegation rather than an established fact. The real documented starting point of the artistic use of the symbol goes back to the artist Khaled Hourani, who painted a watermelon slice for the Subjective Atlas of Palestine project in 2007 — a work later exhibited in Scotland, France, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt, helping to permanently establish the motif in Palestinian contemporary art even before the rise of social media.
What does the watermelon represent for Palestinians today?
Beyond its historical role as a way to bypass censorship, the watermelon has acquired over time its own and much broader significance in Palestinian culture:
- A connection to the land: a fruit cultivated in Palestine for generations, particularly in the agricultural regions of Jenin in the West Bank and in certain areas of Gaza, the watermelon evokes local agriculture and attachment to the territory.
- A shared identity: in the diaspora as in the Palestinian territories, it serves as an immediate sign of recognition between Palestinians and supporters of the cause.
- An artistic vector: since Khaled Hourani, many artists (Sarah Hatahet, Beesan Arafat, Sami Boukhari, among others) have taken up the motif, widely shared on social media and adopted by creators of clothing, jewelry and craft objects around the world.
- A symbol of creative resistance: it illustrates the capacity of a people to maintain a cultural identity despite decades of attempts at erasure.
Why has this symbol gone viral again since 2023?
Since the attack of October 7, 2023 and the war in Gaza that followed, the use of the watermelon emoji and image has exploded on Instagram, TikTok and X. Many users employ it to replace the words "Palestine" or "Gaza" in their posts, a practice sometimes described as "algospeak" — a coded language designed to bypass potential algorithmic moderation of conflict-related content.
This practice developed in a climate of justified mistrust: in October 2023, Instagram apologized after a translation bug inserted the word "terrorist" into the biographies of users containing the word "Palestinian." A few weeks later, in December 2023, Human Rights Watch published a report documenting "systemic" censorship of pro-Palestinian content by Meta, pointing to flawed moderation policies and excessive automation of content removal, including from posts containing no violent images. In this context, the watermelon symbol functioned as a parallel visual language, difficult to filter automatically, allowing people to continue expressing political solidarity while reducing the risk of content removal or account restrictions.
Is the watermelon or the Palestinian flag still banned today?
The watermelon itself has never been the subject of a legal ban: it was the flag and its colors that were targeted by the 1967 order. This framework formally ended with the signing of the Oslo Accords, on September 13, 1993, which lifted the ban on the flag in the territories under Palestinian administration.
The subject remains sensitive in Israel itself: on June 1, 2022, the Knesset adopted in its first reading, by 63 votes to 16, a bill banning "enemy flags" in state-funded institutions. On January 8, 2023, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir issued a directive classifying the Palestinian flag as a symbol of "terrorism" and ordering its removal from public spaces in Israel, according to Amnesty International. None of these measures directly concern the watermelon, which remains a legal and widely shared symbol, even outside any activist context.
Where to find watermelon products in support of Palestine?
Boutique Palestine offers a selection of clothing and accessories featuring this symbol, such as our Palestine Watermelon T-Shirt, our Palestine Watermelon Bracelet, our Palestine Watermelon Necklace or our Palestine Watermelon Bag. Every purchase directly supports the Palestinian cause, with free shipping to France and internationally.
To explore the historical context of the flag itself, see our article Palestinian Flag: history, symbolism and meaning.
Sources
— Amnesty International Belgium, "Israel/OPT, restrictions imposed on the flag to silence Palestinians and limit their visibility", January 13, 2023.
— The National, "How the watermelon became a symbol of Palestinian resistance", May 30, 2021.
— Human Rights Watch, "Meta: Systemic Censorship of Palestine Content", December 20, 2023.
— The Washington Post, "Why the watermelon became a symbol for pro-Palestinian protesters", November 16, 2023.
FAQ — Your questions about the Palestinian watermelon symbol
Why did the watermelon become a symbol of Palestine?
Because when cut in half, it naturally displays the four colors of the Palestinian flag (red, green, black, white), at a time when the flag and its colors were prohibited in the occupied territories by Israeli Military Order No. 101 of 1967. The exact association remains however a story with uncertain origins, as documented by an investigation in The National newspaper in 2021.
Since when has the watermelon been used as a Palestinian symbol?
The oldest documented artistic use dates back to 2007, with the work of Palestinian artist Khaled Hourani for the Subjective Atlas of Palestine project. An anecdote from 1980 in a Ramallah gallery mentions a threat of confiscation by an Israeli officer, but not a lasting artistic adoption at that time. The symbol then experienced massive worldwide spread from October 2023 onwards, following the outbreak of the war in Gaza, notably via the 🍉 emoji on social media.
Is the watermelon emoji censored on social media?
There is no proof of automatic censorship specifically targeting the watermelon emoji. However, Meta acknowledged and corrected in October 2023 a bug that had inserted the word "terrorist" into Instagram biographies containing the word "Palestinian," and Human Rights Watch documented in December 2023 broader censorship of pro-Palestinian content on the platform. It is in this climate that the alternative use of the emoji became widespread, offering a way to continue expressing oneself without directly triggering sensitive keywords.
Is the watermelon banned in Israel or Palestine?
No, the watermelon has never been banned as such: only the Palestinian flag and its colors were, under the framework of the 1967 military order, lifted by the Oslo Accords of September 13, 1993. The flag remains a sensitive subject in Israel, where several recent legislative initiatives (2022, 2023) seek to restrict its display in public spaces.
Where to find products with the Palestine watermelon symbol?
Boutique Palestine offers several products adorned with the watermelon symbol: t-shirts, bracelets, necklaces and bags, presented earlier in this article. All are delivered free of charge to France and internationally.
Conclusion
The watermelon illustrates how an everyday object can become, almost despite itself, a powerful political symbol. Born from a coincidence of colors exploited to bypass a very real prohibition — the 1967 military order —, sustained by an artistic legend with blurry contours around 1980, then permanently established by Palestinian contemporary art from 2007 with Khaled Hourani, it has found a new viral life since 2023 on social media around the world.
Understanding this story, with its gray areas as well as its documented facts, is to better grasp how Palestinian culture continues to express itself in the face of erasure, yesterday through painting and today through an emoji. Discover our watermelon-colored products to show your support for the Palestinian people.