If you search for Palestine on Google Maps, you won’t find it. Palestine, the name most continuously used for the territory lying between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea from the fifth century, is labelled Israel by Google.
However, this is not the latest discovery. Google was earlier too accused of deleting Palestine from Google Maps. But the truth is, it was never labelled by Google in the first place. People are once again pointing out Google’s botch.
When searching for Palestine on Google Maps, it shows an outline, but with no label for Palestine while Israel labelled alongside it. Where 136 members of the United Nations recognise Palestine as an independent state, the US and much of the west does not. There is a never-ending Palestine-Israel war dividing the two nations.
There is a social media outcry and people are condemning Google for the shameless act. A hashtag, #PalestineIsHere and #FreePalestine is trending now.
There are also reports that Apple Inc. has also removed Palestine from its map.
As you can see, Anti-Muslim @Google removed ‘#Palestine’ from its maps. pic.twitter.com/Cm7i31p1qJ
— Maqsood Alam | مقصود عالم (@MaqsoodAlamU) July 16, 2020
Shame on You Apple and Google
For removing the Palestine from your Maps. #Palestine— Mahira Sayed (@MahiraSayedd) July 16, 2020
It’s always gonna be #Palestine ??
But we need unity among Muslims, and Muslim leaders, Then it can always be Palestine..!????? pic.twitter.com/p4p8hB9oUv— عبد العزيز طارق ?? (@AbdulAziztareq3) July 16, 2020
Shame on you Google ! How dare you to support Israil and erase #Palestine from Googlemaps!#FreePalestine
Previous map New map pic.twitter.com/uBiwEQuT46— Hassan Sheikh⁷ (@hassan_sheikh4) July 16, 2020
Where's The World Now?
Where's The So-Called Peace?#Palestine #FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/yJw4OAXOEg— Asim Azhar Updates ?? (@updatesasim) July 16, 2020
#Palestine Removed From Google Map ?? pic.twitter.com/SGOBLlBjiq
— ????? ????? (@SIPAH_E_IMAM_AJ) July 16, 2020
" #Palestine has been officially deleted from google map." This news was making rounds on Twitter. But then what I came to know was even more shocking. Palestine has never been on Google maps?. So it means google has been advocating occupation ever since its birth in 1998.
(+)— Kandur?? (@WaniSpeaks) July 16, 2020
The world map in 1918. Showing palestine was on it before “israel” was even a thing.
Palestine will always be palestine whether you removed it from the map or not.. @Google#FreePalestine#IStandWithPalestine #Palestine pic.twitter.com/ta2LllZJWd— Dr.Arisha (@aarisha__) July 16, 2020
Earlier in 2016, Google tried to defend their shameless act in a statement. “There has never been a ‘Palestine’ label on Google Maps, however, we discovered a bug that removed the labels for West Bank and Gaza Strip, We’re working quickly to bring these labels back to the area. It is unclear if that bug played a role in spurring the online outrage,” they said.
This is not the first time Google has got into hot water over disputed territories and it’s likely not to be the last.
What do you think about the story? Tell us in the comment section below.
