When Google removed Palestine, Arabs remembered it exists


Palestine was "removed" from Google maps. Shock and Horror! Arabs freaked out, and Google was shamed all across social media. Strangely, when most Arab countries gave up on Palestine, no one said a word.

Google is a Zionist stooge, Google should apologize, boycott Google! Twitter was full of defiant vengeful tweets, Facebook was drowned with "feeling angry" emoticons, and bloggers had a field day parading their virtual Keffieh.

Arabs are fiery. On the Internet. In real life, it’s a bit more complicated. It’s hot, it’s humid, the kids are screaming, the wife is calling, they can’t also take care of Palestine, can they?

When Israel was bombing the hell out of Gaza, how many Arabs took to the streets throughout the world to support the Palestinian people? Millions? Hundreds of thousands? No? Tens of thousands? Not even? Hundreds? Dozens? That was more like it.

What about Arab countries?

Saudi Arabia is seriously flirting with Israel. Any day now, we can expect the Wahhabi kingdom to ask out the Jewish state, go on a date, grab a meal or a movie, see how things turn out.

Most Gulf countries have already befriended Israel. So did most North-African nations. Egypt and Jordan have signed a peace treaty years ago. Syria, Iraq and Yemen are burning, so they’re kind of busy with themselves.

In Lebanon, well, we don’t even know how to write "Palestine". And the Arab league – you know, that place were Arab leaders meet and take no decisions – is more busy supporting regime change than defending the “Palestinian cause”.

So who’s left? No one. Barely a few idealists here and there. Actually, if you look closely, you notice that Palestinians have way more support in the West than in the Arab world. Ironic, isn’t it?

If Google wants to do Israel a favor it will put Palestine on its maps, in large bold letters, so Arabs can peacefully go back to forgetting it exists.


© Claude El Khal, 2016

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