Apple has vowed to stop the automatic suggestion of the Palestinian flag emoji for some iPhone users when typing the word "Jerusalem" in its messaging app. The tech giant attributed the incident to a software error after being accused of "bias against Israel" amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Apple stated that the emoji suggestion in the iPhone keyboard while composing a message was "not intentional," noting that it would be corrected in the next update for the iOS operating system.
British television presenter Rachel Riley revealed this issue on social media, reigniting the debate over the legitimacy of Israel or Palestinians claiming Jerusalem as their capital.
Riley wrote on X, "When I type Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, I’m presented with the Palestinian flag emoji," demanding clarification from Apple. She pointed out that no emojis for flags of other countries are suggested when typing the names of other capitals in iPhone messages.
Riley added in her post, "Displaying double standards regarding Israel is a form of anti-Semitism, and is in itself a form of racism against the Jewish people." She noted that the Palestinian flag emoji began appearing when writing the word "Quds" following the latest update of the iPhone operating system.
