Germany’s Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution has published a new guide identifying symbols and narratives it associates with secular pro-Palestinian extremism, including the image of a sliced watermelon in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The agency says such imagery can be used to deny Israel’s right to exist and forms part of a broader pattern of hostility toward Israel and antisemitism that links actors across left-wing, Islamist, and right-wing extremist circles.

The guide outlines groups and slogans it considers central to this spectrum and warns that protests, particularly in Berlin, have seen increasing radicalization, banned symbols, and antisemitic rhetoric. It describes how certain chants and images may function as coded or indirect expressions of antisemitism, sometimes escalating into public disorder, property damage, and violence.

Alongside the webpage, the agency released an extensive report on hidden messages, antisemitic codes, and ciphers. The document explains how references to alleged global financial elites, conspiracy myths about secret world control, dehumanizing imagery, Holocaust inversion, and portrayals of Israel as the embodiment of evil can serve as modern vehicles for longstanding antisemitic narratives.

The agency warns that such codes operate on emotional, cognitive, moral, and action-oriented levels, potentially normalizing antisemitism and encouraging radicalization or violence. It says the aim of the publication is to help educators and the public recognize covert forms of antisemitism and strengthen democratic values.