Bug in iOS update issues emoji with Palestine flag when asked about Jerusalem

Some users have noticed that in the latest iOS update, when typing the word "Jerusalem," devices suggest an emoji with the Palestinian flag.

Rachel Riley, a British writer and TV presenter, in a post on X criticized Apple, accusing the company of "double standards" and antisemitism, demanding explanations from Tim Cook. Riley, who herself identifies as Jewish, added that emojis of national flags are not offered for other capital cities.

The political affiliation of Jerusalem has been a subject of dispute during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which dates back to biblical times, but now it has been six months since its modern escalation in the form of the war in Gaza.

The updated software does indeed offer the Palestinian flag when typing "Jerusalem" in messaging apps on Apple devices - however, it appears to only happen in the English layout (United Kingdom). In a similar layout for the USA, the suggestion does not appear.

In Apple's statement, they said that this was done unintentionally and promised to correct the error in the next iOS update.