[Peace-discuss] Mazl tov! Google recognizes Palestine

[Robert Naiman]

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/googles_two-state_solution_20130515/

Google’s Two-State Solution

http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/googles_two-state_solution_20130515/

Posted on May 15, 2013

The Internet giant isn’t waiting for Palestinians and Israelis to settle
their differences. On the first of the month, without firing off a press
release, Google changed its home page in Gaza and the West Bank from
“Google: Palestinian Territories” to “Google: Palestine.”

It turns out a lot of people noticed. According to one Palestinian
interviewed by NPR: “Everybody knows about it and they screen shot [and]
post on Facebook: ‘Yay Google, thank you.’ ”

Israel took the name change seriously enough to send a letter of complaint
to CEO Larry Page. “Google can do anything they want. They’re not a
diplomatic entity so they can do Google La-la Land if they want to and
that’s fine,” says a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry. But, he
adds, “if people on the Palestinian side believe that they can get anything
they want through unilateral steps by international bodies, well in that
case they will be more reluctant to talk to Israel.”

According to NPR, Google is not keen to talk about the decision, but the
company suggested the Palestinians’ recently enhanced status in the United
Nations was a contributing factor.

—Posted by Peter Z. Scheer. Follow him on Twitter: @peesch.

-- 
Robert Naiman
Policy Director
Just Foreign Policy
www.justforeignpolicy.org
naiman at justforeignpolicy.org
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