A German intelligence agency said the symbol becomes extremist imagery when used to depict the elimination of Israel as a state.
Germany’s domestic intelligence agency has classified certain uses of the watermelon symbol as extremist imagery when it is used in ways that deny Israel’s right to exist, amid ongoing debate over the symbol’s role in Palestinian activism and political protest.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) said depictions of Israel and the Palestinian territories as a single watermelon-shaped image constitute antisemitic symbolism because they erase Israel’s existence.
The watermelon image incorporates the colors red, black, white, and green, matching the colors of the Palestinian flag, and has become a common symbol in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and artwork.