Palestine Lives! · Scavenger Hunt
Watermelon
Four colors. One flag. A symbol of resistance that cannot be censored.
Original sticker design by Alyssa Polito
About this Motif
Sharing its colors of the Palestinian flag — red, green, white, and black — the watermelon is a symbol of resistance, perseverance, and solidarity. The adoption of the symbol was a response to the various forms of censorship by the Israeli government since 1967.
Following the 1967 Arab-Israeli war, Israel annexed East Jerusalem, occupied the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and outlawed the Palestinian flag in occupied territories. In 1980, Israel shut down an art gallery for exhibiting artwork depicting the colors of the Palestinian flag.
The resurgence of the watermelon since the 2023 genocide in Gaza has grown international recognition, even used as a way to circumvent censorship and shadow banning on social media platforms.