The online maps in China have been reported to omit the State of Israel during the recent war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It is unclear why the maps have been edited in this way, however, it has been speculated that it may be part of a wider attempt to “erase” Israel from Chinese maps. This comes after reports that China had sided with Palestine in the conflict.
Earlier this month, during the month-long conflict, the United Nations Human Rights Council demanded an independent investigation into Israel’s actions in Gaza. The UN resolution passed with a vote of 24-2, with the United States, Guatemala, Australia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Britain, and Canada voting in favor of the resolution, and China and Russia voting against it.
As a result, there appears to have been an increase in anti-Israel content and sentiment on Chinese social media, which may have been the motivation behind the editing of online maps to omit Israel. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that however this has been done, it has caused a great deal of confusion among users of online maps in China.
