Microsoft Removes “Misleading” Israeli Designations Used in West Bank
The Arab Center for the Advancement of Social Media (7amleh) confirmed in a statement that the updates span location-based platforms including the Bing search engine, where listings previously identifying West Bank locations under "Judea and Samaria, Israel" have been replaced with the internationally accepted term "West Bank."
"Judea and Samaria" is the designation favoured by Israel for the occupied territory. Under international law, however, the West Bank — including East Jerusalem — is classified as Israeli-occupied Palestinian land and a foundational element of any future Palestinian state.
Lama Nazeeh, advocacy manager at 7amleh, welcomed the revision as a "necessary correction," urging global technology firms to align their platforms with international law and halt what she described as the "digital erasure of Palestinian geography."
An independent search conducted by Anadolu on Bing Maps corroborated the change, confirming the "West Bank" label is now in use across the platform. Microsoft had not issued any official public statement regarding the updates at the time of publication.
The move arrives amid intensifying global scrutiny of technology companies' roles in conflict zones, particularly in how digital maps frame disputed or occupied territories.
Conditions on the ground in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have deteriorated sharply in recent years, with Israeli forces and settlers accused of carrying out arrests, killings, property destruction, mass displacement and the continued expansion of illegal settlements. Palestinian officials caution that such actions may be laying the groundwork for formal Israeli annexation of the West Bank — a scenario that would effectively extinguish the prospect of an independent Palestinian state under UN resolutions.
The mapping revision also follows a landmark International Court of Justice ruling in July 2024, in which the court declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the full evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
