Israeli town is suing Google over a claim that it was built on the ruins of a destroyed Palestinian village
A few days ago, the Associated Press reported that the small Israeli town of Kiryat Yam is suing Google for slander, after a Google Earth user "inserted a note on the map" saying that the town was built "on the location of Ghawarina", a Palestinian village destroyed in 1948.
A town official said this was impossible, as Kiryat Yam was founded in 1945, while Google emphasised that their service "depends on user-generated content that reflects what people contribute, not what Google believes is accurate".
The user in question, a Palestinian from Jenin called Thameen Darby, has already made other, similar, notes, though in this specific case he said if the location is "proven wrong by reliable sources, I will be quick to reallocate it". Apparently even cyberspace is not immune from the competing claims to the landscape of Palestine/Israel.
Read entire article at Guardian
A town official said this was impossible, as Kiryat Yam was founded in 1945, while Google emphasised that their service "depends on user-generated content that reflects what people contribute, not what Google believes is accurate".
The user in question, a Palestinian from Jenin called Thameen Darby, has already made other, similar, notes, though in this specific case he said if the location is "proven wrong by reliable sources, I will be quick to reallocate it". Apparently even cyberspace is not immune from the competing claims to the landscape of Palestine/Israel.