Chapter 2: The Herb

Za’atar  is a herb native to Palestine, growing wild in its fields and lands and found in the crevices of rocks and rubble littering the land.

Generations have grown up picking and preparing za’atar. It is commonly used in homes throughout Palestine and the rest of the Levant, both as food and as a herbal remedy.

A popular use of za’atar  is in a dried herbal mixture of the same name that is a staple in Levantine kitchens. Traditionally made with dried thyme, dried oregano, roasted sesame seeds, sumac and salt, it is often eaten with bread dipped in olive oil or as a topping for manaeesh  (a pizza-like flatbread from the Levant).

Za’atar holds a special place in Palestinian identity, as Kate Reynolds explains in her study, Conserving the Spice of Life: An Analysis of the 1977 Za’atar Regulation in Israel and Occupied Territories of the West Bank.

“This significance of za’atar  in the home, as a community tradition, and as a symbol of identity and resistance, builds it up with great importance to Palestinians… Za’atar  is a part of everyday life in the Palestinian home, which has made it a symbol popularised in art, music, poetry, and other areas of cultural life,” writes Reynolds.

That special relationship has however come under threat in Palestine.

In 1977, Israel’s Ministry of Agriculture (under the leadership of future Prime Minister Ariel Sharon) passed a regulation declaring wild za’atar to be a protected species, restricting and criminalising its collection.

Their basis – an Israeli study claimed that the plant was in danger of being overharvested.

Reynold’s 2023 analysis found that enforcement of this regulation by Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority led to imprisonment, fines, and even criminal trials for violations.

The analysis also cites research by human rights lawyer Rabea Eghbariah, who revealed that from 1977 to 2017, 100 percent of those sent to trial were Palestinians. Opponents also highlight severe fines imposed on foragers at West Bank checkpoints, with some reaching 5,000 new Israeli shekels (≈RM6,000).

Meanwhile, Israel has encouraged the domestication and commercialisation of za’atar  –  with Israeli private enterprises being key players in this process.

Chapter 3: The Olive Tree

The olive tree, one of the most ancient inhabitants of Palestine, has been a cornerstone of its agriculture for centuries. Integral to the economy and cultural identity, olive trees represent prosperity, resilience, and the Palestinians' deep-rooted connection to their land.

Olive trees can live up to 600 years, but some have been documented to be thousands of years old. It is estimated that there are nearly 200,000 of these millenarian olive trees in the Galilee region of the Levant.

(The Galilee is a region that covers a part of occupied northern Palestine, and extends to southern Lebanon and a part of the occupied Golan Heights in Syria.)

One such tree is the al-Badawi (‘the Nomad’ in English) olive tree. It is reportedly the oldest olive tree in Palestine and can be found in the village of al-Walaja in Bethlehem. Researchers from Japan and Europe have estimated the tree to be around 4000 to 5000 years old.

“Food cultivation is an ancient practice in Palestine, and we have a long tradition of farming. The olive tree is part of this and to this day is the most prominent agricultural crop in Palestine,” said Nasser, who is also the founder and director of Canaan Palestine, an olive oil company based in the West Bank city of Jenin, Palestine. 

“The olive has become a symbol of Palestinian identity – an identity rooted in the land. It represents our presence and our connection to the past, present, and future generations.”

Palestine’s olive trees have faced consistent threats since the Israeli occupation began. A 2015 study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development estimated that over 800,000 productive olive trees have been illegally uprooted by Israel since 1967. That figure, however, is estimated to be much higher. 

“The figure is much higher because there’s obviously been an acceleration of the settlement program in the last 10 years.

“Every acceleration of settlement programs means the destruction of olive orchards and livelihood for farmers,” said Nasser.

Despite this destruction, the olive tree remains a powerful emblem of resistance and resilience, embodying the Palestinians' enduring struggle to maintain their connection to their homeland.

“Olive trees are resistant to drought and can sustain themselves in harsh conditions.

“Their resilience has taught us to survive with scarce resources. That's the lesson we draw from the olive tree – its resilience is what has shaped it, and it’s what shapes us too,” said Nasser.

Chapter 4: The Orange

Before the Nakba, Palestine was known for its flourishing citrus industry. The Yaffa orange, prized for its thick peel, sweet taste, and aroma, became synonymous with Palestine and was its main export in the early 1900s. 

By 1913, orange exports accounted for approximately 40 percent of all goods exported from the Port of Yaffa and Ottoman Palestine. In the late 1930s, citrus exports composed mainly of oranges accounted for 77 percent of Palestine's total export value. During the British Mandate, it was estimated that nearly half of Yaffa’s population worked in the citrus industry or related sectors. 

The economic success of Yaffa oranges made them a symbol of Palestine’s prosperity and thriving agricultural heritage. However, this symbolism ended when the majority of Palestinian orange groves were seized during the Nakba.

“Much of Palestine’s citrus groves were on the coast between Gaza and Haifa. A lot of these coastal plains, and its citrus groves, were lost to Israel in 1948. We planted all these coastal plains with Yaffa  (the oranges), which were very successfully exported to Europe, but the occupation has disrupted this,” said Nasser.

“The oranges are not very significant anymore to the Palestinian economy. There are still orchards run by Palestinian farmers – some in Jericho, the Tubas regions, Tulkarem and Gaza – but these are pockets compared to before.” 

Once a proud symbol of prosperity, the orange now stands as a reminder of loss and robbed nationhood for Palestinians. 

“It’s a symbol of our loss and stolen identity because right now our Yaffa oranges sold in Europe are directly related to Israel. Even the brand itself (Jaffa orange) was taken and turned into an Israeli brand,” said Nasser.

“By appropriating the orange, Israelis are engaging in cultural warfare because they take the symbols of our identity as their own. This is a cultural theft that impacts Palestinians deeply because we hold these items dear.”

Israel’s theft of Palestine’s orange groves has inspired many works of art and literature, serving as a poignant reminder of its lost heritage.

‍The Land of Sad Oranges, a short story written by the late Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani is a well-known example. Narrated from the perspective of a child, it tells of a family’s forced flight from their home in Yaffa, Palestine during the Nakba. 

The orange is referenced throughout the story. Initially, it symbolises Palestinian prosperity and peace. Over time, it transforms into a representation of the family’s descent into despair as they struggle with the loss of their homeland and their new reality as refugees.

Chapter 5: The Poppy

The Palestinian poppy (or Anemone coronaria) is one of Palestine’s most famous flowers.

Come springtime, the poppy emerges to dot Palestine’s fields. Its most well-known variety, the red poppy, stands out with its blood-red petals nestled among the grass and wild herbs that carpet the countryside.

Its vibrant red petals, black centre encircled by a ring of white, and bright green stem, are often associated with the colours of the Palestinian flag.

The red poppy also holds another deep symbolic meaning for Palestinians: martyrdom and sacrifice.

“The poppy symbol came about in the late 60s and early 70s when the Palestinian resistance opted for an armed struggle against Israel because of the loss of the rest of Palestine in 1967. They felt there was no point waiting for the Arab regimes to restore their homeland, so they opted for resistance instead,” shared Nasser.

“The resistance promoted the concept of the Fida’i  (‘sacrificer’). The sacrifice was done for the land, for Palestine, and it was a sacrifice embodied by those who give their lives in the struggle."

This concept, Nasser says, led to the poppy becoming a symbol of that sacrifice.

“And so the red poppy came to signify the life being given by the martyrs into the land, and that honours the people who died for the land. 

“It became a part of the struggle against the occupation,” he said.

Chapter 6: The Sunbird

Symbolising freedom and the natural beauty of the region, the Palestine sunbird is one of Palestine’s native avian species. Not only does it carry Palestine’s name, it was also adopted as the national bird of Palestine in 2015.

The sunbird is one of the smallest birds in the country and can be commonly found flitting about Palestine’s cities and villages.

With its brightly-coloured, iridescent plumage, curved beaks and long tongue, the Palestine sunbird are often mistaken to be hummingbirds. Though both feed on nectar, the sunbird feeds while perching, unlike the hummingbird, which feeds while hovering.

Its diet also includes herbivorous insects and arthropods, making it useful in controlling crop pests and reducing agricultural damage.

The beauty and symbolism carried by the sunbird has inspired artists to feature it in their artwork, primarily ones resisting the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestine.

Palestinian artist Khaled Jarrar is known for his work with the Palestine sunbird.

From 2011 to 2014, his project Live and work in Palestine involved him designing an unofficial Palestinian visa stamp for passports. The circular stamp motif features the words ‘State of Palestine’ in English and Arabic surrounding an image of the Palestine sunbird with its wings spread. This stamp was then used to stamp passports of willing volunteers of various nationalities.

Khaled’s purpose of the project was simple: to find a suitable artistic method that “dismantles the absence of the Palestinian State.”

Another work of his that uses the sunbird as its key element is his postage stamp series for the State of Palestine. These official stamps are produced in collaboration with post offices in several countries, including Belgium, Germany and Norway, and can be used for regular mail.

Chapter 7: The Watermelon

The watermelon, or bateekh, has been cultivated across Palestine for generations.

According to American think-tank The Oakland Institute, heirloom varieties such as the Jadu’i watermelon from Jenin were widely grown by farmers before Israel’s occupation and exported to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

With its red flesh, green skin, white rind, and black seeds, the watermelon’s colours have led it to be associated with the Palestinian flag. This connection has made the watermelon a symbol for Palestinians and pro-Palestinian supporters, especially in instances where the flag cannot be displayed.

After the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israel had seized control of Gaza and the West Bank, and had annexed East Jerusalem. It then issued Military Order 101 which banned and criminalised the display of “flags or political symbols”, including that of the Palestinian flag, in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. In defiance of this order, symbols like the watermelon were used in art and activism.

The watermelon has seen a resurgence in popularity amid the ongoing Gaza genocide. It has become a symbol of protest and solidarity, featured prominently in pro-Palestinian marches, banners, shirts, and posters.

It is also widely used online by pro-Palestinian voices to show solidarity. 

Social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram have been caught censoring and “shadowbanning” Palestinian content in the wake of the Gazan genocide. As a response, Palestinians and their supporters began posting images and artwork of watermelon slices on their profiles. The watermelon emoji is also frequently used in hashtags and comments as a form of support and resistance.

-- BERNAMA