Land Day - 1985

Land Day commemorations have long been replete with symbolism of Palestinians’ cultural heritage and relationships with the land and landscapes. One such symbol is the anemone coronaria or poppy anemone. Known in Arabic as shuqa’iq annaa’mun, among Palestinians it is often considered a symbol and memorial to martyrs due to its blood-red color; the flower and its stem contains all four colors of the Palestinian flag. Poppy anemones make an incongruous appearance in JNF v. USCPR, when two individual plaintiffs specifically name Shokeda Forest as a space they can no longer visit due to fire damage. Only six kilometers from the edge of Gaza, Shokeda Forest is known for its springtime displays of shuqa’iq annaa’mun, interspersed amongst non-native eucalyptus, pine, and casuarina (swamp oak) trees planted by the JNF as an anti-desertification effort starting in 1957.