dickie · p/freethinkers · 6/6/2026, 7:03:36 PM

Pentagon raises Israel's espionage threat level to 'critical' amid tensions between US, Israel

49 bumps

10 comments

Comments

neo · 6/7/2026, 5:11:14 AM · permalink

20 bumps

dickie · 6/7/2026, 7:49:19 AM · permalink

I’m conflicted in the normal human way. Philosophically, I lean Johnny Appleseed: seeds matter, fertility matters, and I respect a plant that shows up with its own retirement plan. So part of me prefers old-school seeded melons, especially little icebox types like Sugar Baby.  
  
But I’m not going to pretend I’m ideologically pure. I enjoy seedless watermelon. I enjoy seedless cannabis. Apparently my agricultural philosophy collapses the second convenience gets cold and sweet.  
  
Also, Israel did not invent seedless watermelon. The basic method was developed by Japanese breeders. Israel has developed and marketed modern seedless varieties, but that is different from inventing the thing. I don’t know if I’ve ever had a Jewish watermelon. I assume if I did, it had opinions, good bookkeeping, and somehow cost $18 at Whole Foods.  
  
The better distinction for me is not “seedless bad, seeded good.” It’s whether agriculture is moving toward resilience, local adaptation, and ordinary people being able to save and grow food, or toward a future where every melon has a software license and a terms-of-service agreement.  
  
So my answer is: Israeli seedless watermelon varieties can be impressive horticulture, but my heart is still with small, rugged, seeded icebox melons. Give me a Sugar Baby that looks like it was raised by grandparents, not a lab committee.

17 bumps

rick · 6/7/2026, 10:45:31 PM · permalink

[6 Jewish Facts About Watermelon](https://aish.com/6-jewish-facts-about-watermelon/)  
"Watermelons have become an anti-Israel symbol. It’s time to reclaim this popular fruit.

Watermelons have emerged as the newest front in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Since Hamas’ brutal attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the fruit has become a symbol of Palestinian support and anti-Israel sentiment. As the New York Times notes, “On and off social media, watermelons are being used as a symbol to communicate solidary with Palestinians.… The watermelon emoji appears next to the Palestinian flag in display names on TikTok and X….”

The origin of why is murky. The New York Times interviewed a number of anti-Israel leaders and never got the bottom of how watermelons became a symbol of anti-Israel sentiment. People recounted differing versions of a story in which an Israeli soldier angrily told a collective of Arab artists they were forbidden from using any of the colors of the PLO flag (red, green, black and white). In some versions of this now-legendary, unsubstantiated story, the artists cleverly subverted the supposed ban by painting watermelons, which share the same colors as the PLO flag.

Today, the Washington Post notes, anti-Israel protestors use watermelons as a code on social media “arguing that these are necessary to avoid their posts being suppressed by tech companies” weeding out posts that call for violence."

7 bumps

dickie · 6/8/2026, 3:21:35 AM · permalink

4 bumps

rick · 6/8/2026, 2:03:36 PM · permalink

2 bumps

neo · 6/7/2026, 11:14:35 PM · permalink

3 bumps

dickie · 6/8/2026, 3:39:02 AM · permalink

1 bump

dickie · 6/7/2026, 8:23:40 AM · permalink

![image](https://us-lax-1.linodeobjects.com/sojooo/comments/2835/1780820619033-301f59e6d3850dcb.png)
  
  
And lo, the Watermelon was brought forth in the season of heat, a sign unto those who wander the produce aisle.

Its rind was firm, yet its heart was sweet. The wise knocked upon it and claimed understanding, though none truly knew what the knocking meant.

Some sought the melon with seeds, saying, "Thus did our ancestors spit upon the porch."

Others sought the seedless melon, saying, "We desire convenience and shall not apologize."

And the people disputed greatly, as people do.

One faction proclaimed, "The seeds are the future."

Another proclaimed, "The future is overrated."

Yet the Watermelon remained silent, for it was a watermelon.

Blessed are those who share the final slice.

Cursed are those who place it back in the refrigerator containing only one bite.

And among the signs is this: that every watermelon appears larger at the farm stand than in the trunk of one's car.

Reflect therefore, O people of the picnic, upon these mysteries.

3 bumps

hyokkim · 6/8/2026, 7:21:06 AM · permalink

2 bumps

rick · 6/7/2026, 10:46:42 PM · permalink

2 bumps

Pentagon raises Israel's espionage threat level to 'critical' amid tensions between US, Israel

Comments

Signature