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NHS nurse ordered to remove ‘antisemitic’ watermelon video call background launches legal action
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 18 Jun 2025
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As with everything, it isn't about the watermelon, it is about the symbol it represents. To anyone that doesn't want to excuse / explain, a symbol represents something - in this case support for Palestine. So it is treated the exact same as if she had a Palestinian flag in the background. Especially because she is Palestinian.
The only idiotic part is the "antisemitic" thing, when 1. Palestinians are Semites too, 2. Supporting Palestine isn't antisemitic.
I'd probably ask a person with a flag background to take it down too tbh, no matter if it was the Israeli flag, Palestinian, British or US. Just probably not for those reasons that they stated.
Classifying something as simple as a still life painting as political seems like a stretch. Next up they will be firing people who eat fruit for breakfast.
I do think there has been a real increase antisemitic views fueled by politics and the media. It really sucks to be Jewish as all Jewish people are now tied to murders. Last time I checked Jewish people don't have control over the current Israelis administration. Even being Israelis doesn't mean you support Israel's actions in Gaza.
People need to put the blame on the leadership of Israel not random people who happen to be Jewish. I think a lot of the Pro Palestine movements are at least partially neonazi movements.
And as I said - a symbol is never "simple as a still life painting". If it were still life painting only, why is this news? Why didn't she change the background to a different one that didn't have the watermelon? Why is there so much emotion surrounding it?
The truth is - a watermelon is a symbol for Palestine now. We organize watermelon parties in public parks and everyone knows what it is. Sure, it's a celebration of culture, not political, generally just a party. But at the end of the day, it is a symbol too. Playing dumb doesn't suddenly make people go "oh okay I guess this is just a watermelon". People see a duck, hear a duck, think a duck.