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Social media is full of watermelon emojis lately, as many have been using the emoticons to show their solidarity with Palestine. The reason why people are using the emoji is because the watermelon has reportedly been a symbol for Palestine since 1967, as the colors of the fruit are similar to that of the Palestinian flag.
At the time, Israel had taken over Gaza and banned the display of the Palestinian flag. Hence, people began using the fruit emoji to show their support for Palestine, since the colors are the same as that of the country’s flag.
Now, amid the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel, many netizens have been complaining about how their posts are allegedly being removed for dealing with pro-Palestine content.
In fact, users are complaining about how specific posts with the Palestinian flag emoji are being removed. Thus, social media users are now using the fruit emoticon in place of the country's flag. Moreover, many are also using the emoji as they claim that the fruit is widely grown in Gaza, and hence, represents the country perfectly.
As a result, many netizens have been making videos on TikTok using the watermelon emoji, apparently leaving others baffled and confused. In reality, the former are just trying to show solidarity with the people of Palestine, without trying to get their content banned or removed. At the moment, millions of people have been using the emoji on TikTok.
The watermelon emoji is an online effort representing public expression and support for Palestine
Since October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel for the first time, social media users have been consistently voicing their opinions on the ongoing conflict. Furthermore, many have also been using the platform to bring to light real-time developments in the state of Palestine, with the intention of keeping the masses informed.
However, as the conflict intensified, many social media posts talking about Palestine and its deteriorating condition allegedly began getting banned and deleted. Hence, to combat that problem and make their posts reach a wider audience, many people began using the fruit emoji in place of the Palestine flag emoji to protest as well as express their solidarity.
From people wearing the colors of Palestine's flag to social media users getting creative with their content to make themselves heard, internet users are finding increasingly innovative ways to voice their opinion on sensitive issues.
Furthermore, since 1967, when the watermelon was increasingly being used for the first time in place of Palestine's flag, many walls began to be covered with artworks of the fruit, depicting the struggles faced by the Palestinian people back then.
Further, Palestine, renowned for its luscious watermelons in places like Jenin, the Jordan Valley, and Arabet Al-Batouf, faced challenges with the arrival of Israeli forces in 1948. The IDF's occupation led to the displacement of Palestinian farmers, as settler authorities reportedly introduced their seed companies, dominating the market.
Palestinian watermelons, once celebrated for their size and exported to neighboring countries, became a symbol of resistance. Hence, many continue to use the emoji to show their support for the country during the current circumstances. This has also inspired many to dress in fruit colored clothes to subtly show their support.
