Apple has addressed the controversy surrounding the Palestinian flag emoji appearing when typing “Jerusalem” on iPhones.
This unintended behavior, introduced in iOS update 17.4.1, has been rectified in the developer beta version of iOS 17.5.
The predictive emoji feature, designed to suggest relevant emojis based on typed words, was the culprit behind this issue.
Critics, including TV presenter Rachel Riley, pointed out the inconsistency of the flag suggestion for Jerusalem compared to other cities. This perceived bias towards Israel fueled the controversy.
Apple’s solution in the iOS 17.5 developer beta is to remove any emoji suggestion when typing “Jerusalem,” aligning it with the behavior for other city names.
However, the wider public availability of this fix remains uncertain. It could be introduced in a future public beta or a full software update for iPhones.
Beyond the emoji issue lies the complex political situation of Jerusalem. The city’s status is a major sticking point in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israel claims the whole of Jerusalem as its eternal capital, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.
This dispute is rooted in the 1967 war when Israel captured East Jerusalem, along with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, from Jordan and Egypt.
The international community regards East Jerusalem, along with the other occupied territories, as Palestinian territory.
