Apple says to fix 'bug' showing Palestinian flag emoji suggestions
2 Min Read
The Silicon Valley tech giant blamed a "software bug" for the prompt.
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The Apple logo is illuminated at a store in the city center of Munich, Germany, December 16, 2020. (AP)
Apple on Thursday promised it would stop a Palestinian flag emoji from being suggested to some iPhone users when they type "Jerusalem" in messages.
The Silicon Valley tech giant blamed a "software bug" for the prompt. Apple told AFP that the predictive emoji suggestion in the iPhone keyboard was not intentional and would be fixed in the next update to its mobile operating system.
The issue was pointed out on social media by British television presenter Rachel Riley, a staunch supporter of the Israeli occupation entity.
"When I type the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, I'm offered the Palestinian flag emoji," Riley wrote in a post on X, calling on Apple to provide an explanation.
Dear @Apple @AppleSupport @tim_cook
— Rachel Riley MBE 💙 (@RachelRileyRR) April 9, 2024
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… pic.twitter.com/Cw9TDmE6VD
She said that no flag emojis were suggested when other capital cities were typed into iPhone messages.
"Showing double standards with respect to Israel is a form of antisemitism, which is itself a form of racism against Jewish people," Riley argued in the post.
She claimed the Palestinian flag emoji began popping up when typing "Jerusalem" after a recent update of the iPhone operating system.
It is noteworthy that in 2017, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution ES‑10/19 declared the status of occupied al-Quds as "Israel's capital" as "null and void", after the United States, under then-President Donald Trump's administration, recognized the city as the capital of the Israeli occupation entity.
