LONDON: The inclusion of a Palestinian flag emoji when users type “Jerusalem” has sparked controversy for Apple, with accusations of antisemitism leveled against the American tech giant.
The issue emerged after a recent software update automatically suggested the Palestinian flag emoji, drawing criticism from British TV presenter Rachel Riley, an outspoken supporter of Israel.
Riley took to social media to highlight the anomaly, noting that other capital cities typically do not trigger flag suggestions.
She wrote on X: “Dear @Apple @applesupport @tim_cook I’ve just upgraded my software to version iOS 17.4.1, and now, when I type the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, I’m offered the Palestinian flag emoji.
“This didn’t occur on my phone immediately before this update.
“Below is a (non-exhaustive) list of capital cities that do not offer their nation’s flags, let alone the wrong one.”
Riley accused the Cupertino company of “double standards,” which she views as a “form of antisemitism” when referring to Israel.
One social media expert suggested that the issue could have resulted from “human intervention.”
“There is nothing inherently wrong with associating Jerusalem with Palestinian belief, but Apple's choice of default settings warrants justification, especially considering the potential discriminatory implications of this decision,” said Tom Divon, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, in an interview with The Telegraph.
The iPhone maker said the change made to the keyboard was unintentional and followed a recent software update.
A spokesperson for Apple explained that the Palestinian flag was the result of a “bug” within predictive emoji, adding that it would be fixed in the new iOS software update.
Jerusalem’s status remains highly contentious, with both Israel and Palestine claiming it as their capital.
Map of the Old City of Jerusalem. (AFP/File)
The city is divided, with Israel controlling the western part and the eastern part viewed as Palestinian territory by the UN, although Israel has repeatedly been accused of exerting extensive power and using violence over the area in an attempt to gain control.
Former US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017 further fueled tensions, drawing condemnation from the international community and Palestinian leaders, who described the move as “deplorable and unacceptable measures (that) deliberately undermine all peace efforts.”
