Apple found itself embroiled in an anti-Semitism row after iPhone users discovered that a Palestinian flag emoji was displayed when they typed the word “Jerusalem.”
The world’s most valuable company has been accused of ‘double standards’ towards Israel after an update to its mobile operating system sent the change to millions of users.
Usually, if iPhone users type in the name of a country, a flag emoji of that nation will appear, but this does not extend to city names without a flag appearing if people type “London”, “New York” or “Tokyo”. .
The change sparked anger from some people online, with Countdown’s Rachel Riley calling on the company to explain how the surveillance was allowed to happen.
Apple claimed the change was a bug that was unintentional and would be fixed in the next iOS update. It’s unclear whether this extends to versions of its operating system outside the UK.
iPhone users who type “Jerusalem” into their emoji search are suggested the Palestinian flag following latest iOS update
An Israeli flag flies in the air above the Old City of Jerusalem, near the Kotel Western Wall.
The change was first announced Tuesday evening, when Ms. Riley — who has been a staunch defender of Israel after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attacks and during the ensuing conflict in Gaza — challenged it.
Writing on social networking site X, formerly known as Twitter, she said: “I just updated my software to iOS version 17.4.1, and now when I type the capital of Israel, Jerusalem, they offer me the Palestinian flag.” emoji.
“This didn’t happen on my phone immediately before this update.”
She then listed capitals “that do not offer their country’s flags, let alone the wrong one”, including London, Paris, Berlin, Washington DC and Moscow.
Ms. Riley added: “Having double standards against Israel is a form of anti-Semitism, which in itself is a form of racism against the Jewish people.
“Please explain whether this was an intentional act on your company’s part or whether you have no control over the malicious programmers.
“Sincerely, a Jewish woman concerned about the global rise of anti-Semitism.
These claims were verified by MailOnline, which found that when the word “Jerusalem” is typed into the emoji search on a recently updated iPhone in the UK, the Palestinian flag appears.
Countdown’s Rachel Riley said the bug showed “double standards towards Israel” and questioned how this was allowed in the latest update.
Protesters wave Palestinian flags during clashes with Israeli security forces outside the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
A social media expert claimed the problem could have been caused by “human intervention”.
Tom Divon, a researcher at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, told the Telegraph: “Apple’s linking of emojis to political causes is problematic. The infrastructural connection of the word “Jerusalem” to the Palestinian flag in iOS requires a deliberate internal decision.
“Unlike social media platforms, where default recommendations are determined by user engagement, Apple’s default emojis require human intervention.
“When these representations constantly attract your attention as you express your thoughts, they eventually shape your thinking.
“There is nothing inherently wrong with associating Jerusalem with Palestinian belief, but Apple’s choice of default settings deserves justification, especially when considering the potential discriminatory implications of this decision.”
An Apple spokesperson told the publication that the flag was appearing due to a “bug” in its predictive emoji and that a fix would be available soon.
MailOnline has contacted Apple for further comment.
Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital, although neither is internationally recognized.
Israel controls the city, with its main administrative centers based within its boundaries, while the Palestinian National Authority maintains its de facto capital in Ramallah, just to the north, and continues to claim East Jerusalem as its own.
Since Hamas launched its terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, tens of thousands of people have died and tensions have increased significantly in the Middle East, as well as in Jewish communities in the West.
Israel launched a war in Gaza in response to the Hamas cross-border attack, in which militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 people hostage, according to Israeli authorities.
More than 33,400 Palestinians have been killed in the continuing fighting, according to Gaza’s health ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally but says most of the dead are women and children.
Israel claims to have killed some 12,000 militants, without providing evidence.
The war triggered a humanitarian catastrophe.
Most of the territory’s population has been displaced and, with large swathes of Gaza’s urban landscape razed by fighting, many areas are uninhabitable.
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