SAN FRANCISCO: A post going viral on social media has claimed that Google has removed Palestine from all online maps.
The users shared screenshots of Google Maps that show an outline of the map with the labels for West Bank and Gaza Strip as well as Israel labeled alongside them.
The viral post claimed the label for Palestine has been removed and man shared posts saying they were angered that there was no Palestine on both Apple and Google maps.
A search for Palestine on Google Maps redirected users to Israel. The latest stint has been followed by Apple maps marking the end of Israeli annexation of Palestine by removing it off the world map.
The change comes as Israel President Benjamin Netanyahu pledging to annex the West Bank, triggering global criticism with many countries calling it human rights violation.
The silent move by the two tech giants has left netizens outraged who expressed the same on Twitter. While one wrote, “Google and Apple maps have officially removed Palestine from the World Maps. Today Palestine was erased from the maps tomorrow Palestine will be erased from the world. PUT PALESTINE BACK ON THE MAP.”
Another tweeted, “I love how Western twitter is silent about Palestine being removed from Google and Apple maps and replaced with “Israel”. Here is a thread of threads of what you have been missing out on regarding Palestine. RT please, the world is ignoring this.”
In 2016, when users claimed the same thing, Google responded saying the name Palestine has never existed on its maps. A Google spokeswoman said at the time: “There has never been a ‘Palestine’ label on Google Maps.”
A spokeswoman said there was a bug that removed the label for West Bank and Gaza. “We’re working quickly to bring these labels back to the area,” she said.
i love how Western twitter is silent about Palestine being removed from Google and Apple maps and replaced with “Israel”.
Here is a thread of threads of what you have been missing out on regarding Palestine. RT please, the world is ignoring this.
— نور (@thebookswarlock) July 16, 2020
I’m really buggin out!! Searched why Palestine was trending. People are claiming “Palestine has been removed from the Google maps”.
I say to myself,
“No, that would be some B.S.”
Then, I type it in to google maps.
Nowhere to be found! This is fucked up! Inhumane. #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/0ItAs3dIlC— Kendrick Sampson (@kendrick38) July 16, 2020
