On July 25, Google launched itself into a controversy after it decided to portray the occupied territories of Palestine as Israel. A colossal number of people around the world have voiced their concern over how it is just another attempt to “falsify history and geography”, on part of Google.
Have you recently tried typing in Palestine into your Google or Bing map app, recently?
It will show you a blank space marking the areas of Gaza, Judea and Samaria, however, with all of them being within the Israeli territory. Apparently, we will no longer be able to see Palestine on the Google or the Bing maps as the aforementioned internet giants have removed it’s name from their world maps.
Consequently, as Inquisitor reported, the Palestinian Journalists’ Forum has recorder a rather unrelenting response, “[This] is part of the Israeli scheme to establish its name as a legitimate state for generations to come and abolish Palestine once and for all. The move is also designed to falsify history, geography as well as the Palestinian people’s right to their homeland, and a failed attempt to tamper with the memory of Palestinians and Arabs as well as the world.”
A change.org petition titled “Google: Put Palestine on your maps” has gained immense popularity as the number of signatories crosses 1.5 lakhs.
Human right activists all around the world are enraged as according to them, it is extremely unfair to remove a country and consequently, a major chunk of the world history, just like that and that the act is against the basic human rights of Palestinians. At this point, it is important to note that Palestine still holds the non-member observer status in the United Nations, despite fervent opposition from the Israel.
#PalestineIsHere is currently trending on twitter and people are tweeting away their concerns over this breach of basic human rights, by the internet giant Google.
Here is a glimpse into some of them.
Apparently, apple maps are showing Palestinian territory as Israel, as well.
While some of them are calling it an apartheid by Israel.
Do you think that Google is being too antagonistic toward Palestine by erasing its name off Google Maps?
Let us know in the comments below.
Cover Image Via: WikiCommons