Apple’s ‘beta’ update addresses Jerusalem emoji controversy

Apple’s ‘beta’ update addresses Jerusalem emoji controversy

Apple has released a partial update to its iPhone software that prevents the Palestinian flag emoji from being suggested when users type the word “Jerusalem”.

The issue has sparked controversy, with critics saying the names of other cities did not prompt the flag emoji to appear.

Both Israel and Palestine hold competing claims to the ancient city.

Apple previously told the BBC that the appearance of the flag when Jerusalem was typed was accidental.

The issue, according to Apple, is related to unwanted behavior in a feature called predictive emoji. iPhone can suggest emojis when words are typed in messages and other apps.

Users noticed that the flag began to be suggested after the company launched iOS 17.4.1 – the latest version of the software that is publicly available for its mobile devices.

Critics like TV presenter Rachel Riley have asked Apple to explain why the flag appears, especially when other cities don’t produce flag emojis when typed.

“Showing double standards regarding Israel is a form of antisemitism,” he wrote on social media.

Apple’s apparent resolution is currently only in the “developer beta” version of iOS 17.5 that was released on Tuesday.

Apple’s Developer Program allows programmers building apps to sign up for early releases of software – called beta versions – so they can test the apps they build on top of it.

In the new update no emojis are suggested when users type “Jerusalem”, in line with what happens with other cities.

It’s unclear when the update will be released more widely, either as a public beta or as a finished update to the public.

Deep divisions
The status of Jerusalem is one of the most pressing disputes in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.

Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its eternal and undivided capital, while the Palestinians claim the eastern part as their hoped-for future capital.

East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, was captured by Israel from Jordan and Egypt in a war in 1967.

They have since been seen internationally as the occupied Palestinian territories.

There have been heightened tensions in the Middle East since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, in which about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and more than 250 others were taken hostage.

Subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza have killed 33,729 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.