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Google Formally Puts Palestine On Virtual Map

Posted by timothy on from the ministry-of-truth dept.

hypnosec writes "Google has indirectly walked right into one of the Middle East's most obstinate conflicts by labeling Palestine as an independent nation — wiping off the term 'Palestinian Territories' and replacing it with 'Palestine' in its localized search page. Google's move is more or less in line with the UN's October decision to name Palestine as a non-member observer state. The status given to Palestine will allow the state to join UN debates as well as global bodies such as the International Criminal Court, in theory at least. Up until May 1, anyone visiting http://www.google.ps were shown the phrase Palestinian Territories. This change is definitely not a huge one but, it has attracted criticism from politicians in Israel."

3 of 338 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Imagine The Poor Guy Who Changed This by Samantha+Wright · · Score: 5, Informative

    While it's an amusing thought, Google actually consulted the UN and is rolling out the change across all of their products. (mumble mumble rtfa)

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  2. Re:Imagine The Poor Guy Who Changed This by Khashishi · · Score: 5, Informative

    Only that the UN is in a better position to recognize a nation than pretty much any other entity.

  3. Re:USA:Israel::China:BestKorea by Uberbah · · Score: 5, Informative

    I don't see the South electing a government with the stated goal of expelling or murdering every resident of the North, flatly stating that any and all negotiations are purely strategic moves to delay fighting when deemed necessary, that the commonly accepted "two state solution" will never be allowed to happen, or refusing to acknowledge the historical incidents predating the formation of their Northern neighbor and otherwise implicitly believing that no Northern citizen has a right to live.

    Yeah, I don't like the Likud Charter either:

    The Jewish communities in Judea, Samaria and Gaza are the realization of Zionist values. Settlement of the land is a clear expression of the unassailable right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel and constitutes an important asset in the defense of the vital interests of the State of Israel. The Likud will continue to strengthen and develop these communities and will prevent their uprooting. ...
    The Government of Israel flatly rejects the establishment of a Palestinian Arab state west of the Jordan river.