Absence of Palestine on Google Maps sparks online protest

Whether inadvertent or deliberate, the omission of Palestine in Google Maps has fired an online outrage against Google.

A group of Palestinian journalist has publicly condemned Google for implying that Palestine does not exist on the world map. When searching for Palestine on Google Maps, the website only shows an outlined territory between Israel and Jordan without any identification that it is Palestine.

The State of Palestine claims sovereignty over the West Bank and Gaza Strip despite Israel’s opposing claim. While 136 members of the United Nations recognize Palestine as an independent state, the United States and other countries in the west do not acknowledge it considering the ongoing territorial dispute.

The controversy also led sympathizers to launch an online campaign to force Google to put Palestine on Google Maps. As of press time, at least 285,000 supporters have signed the online petition.

According to Zak Martin, who launched the petition, “ The omission of Palestine is a grievous insult to the people of Palestine and undermines the efforts of the millions of people who are involved in the campaign to secure Palestinian independence and freedom from Israeli occupation and oppression.”

Martin argued that compelling Google to recognize Palestine on Google Maps is an “important” issue.

“Google Maps are now regarded as definitive by people around the world, including journalists, students and others carrying out research into the Israel-Palestine situation.

“Whether intentionally or otherwise, Google is making itself complicit in the Israeli government's ethnic cleansing of Palestine.”

Similarly, disgruntled Palestinians and sympathisers took to social media their disappointment and adopted the hashtag #PalestineIsHere in an attempt to make an impact.

Google is yet to address the controversy but a source of The Guardian clarified that, “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.”