Microsoft Includes Palestinian Geographic Terminology In Its Maps, Removes Israeli Designations

ISTANBUL, April 27 (Bernama-Anadolu) -- Microsoft has made changes to its digital maps to include Palestinian geographical names and removed some “misleading” Israeli designations used in the occupied West Bank, a digital rights group said Monday, Anadolu Ajansi reported.

In a statement, the Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media (7amleh) said the changes include location-based services, including the search engine "Bing", where labels that previously listed locations in the West Bank under “Judea and Samaria, Israel” were replaced with the term “West Bank".

"Judea and Samaria" is an Israeli term to designate the occupied West Bank. However, under international law, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is regarded as Israeli-occupied Palestinian territory and a key component of a future Palestinian state.

The changes represent a “necessary correction", said Lama Nazeeh, 7amleh's advocacy manager, calling on technology companies to comply with international law and not contribute to the “digital erasure of Palestinian geography".

An Anadolu search on the Bing map also confirmed that the name West Bank has been adopted by Microsoft to refer to the Palestinian territory.

However, there was no immediate official statement from the platform regarding the updates.

This comes following growing international debate over the role of global technology companies in conflicts, particularly regarding the representation of maps and geographic data in conflict-affected areas.

In recent years, Israeli forces and occupiers have intensified assaults across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, involving arrests, killings, property destruction and the displacement of Palestinians, alongside continued illegal settlement expansion.

Palestinian officials warn that such actions could pave the way for Israel to formally annex the West Bank, effectively ending prospects for a Palestinian state as envisioned in UN resolutions.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

-- BERNAMA-ANADOLU