By changing the label “Palestinian Territories” to “Palestine” on its home page, Google is not, as Israel claims, setting back Middle East peace hopes. It is simply following the lead set by the UN which last November upgraded the Palestinians to a non-member observer state. The Israelis are angry and wondering why a private Internet company would want to get involved in international politics and international diplomacy. By using the name Palestine on its local page www.google.ps., Google has said it is following the United Nations and other organizations, including the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, the International Organization for Standardization and other international organizations. The Google move is one more step, no matter how small, on the road to Palestinian liberation. Palestine is now a geographical reality. At the least, if people who are interested in Palestine or who want to come to Palestine, search for Palestine on Google, now they can find it. Before they couldn't. Israel would rather Palestine never be found or created, and it says that without direct negotiations with it, nothing will happen on either front. The truth is that nothing has happened with direct negotiations. That's why the Israeli accusations that Google is damaging the prospects for peace in the Middle East, and that the move will make peace harder to achieve and do nothing for Palestinian statehood, are ridiculous. Google is not making a political statement or taking sides or hampering peace efforts. Israel should not complain too much about the Google move. Google Maps currently shows little or no detail of major Palestinian towns such as Nablus and Ramallah, while many Jewish West Bank settlements have streets and parks clearly labeled. Shortly after the victory at the UN, Palestine President Abbas signed a presidential decree changing the name of the Palestinian Authority to the State of Palestine. According to the decree, all stamps, signs and official letterheads were changed to bear the new name. Now Google can be added to the list of changes. The relatively few and brief media reports of these changes have tended to characterize these baby steps as symbolic. They could — and should — be much more than that. They should represent a turning point toward a better future. The State of Palestine now exists on the soil of Palestine, albeit still, in varying degrees and circumstances, under occupation. The members of the international community must now show their determination not simply in words but also in deeds and actions. In a world that professes to take human rights and international law, including the UN Charter, seriously, the perpetual belligerent occupation of one state by another is inconceivable. In its November resolution, the General Assembly affirmed its “determination to contribute to the achievement of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and the attainment of a peaceful settlement in the Middle East that ends the occupation.” The fact that the Israeli occupation of Palestine has been permitted to endure, expand and entrench itself for decades represents an appalling black mark against mankind. The occupation must now end. Israel was furious at the UN upgrade, which was opposed by the United States but passed by an overwhelming majority, and it reacted by withholding Palestinian government funds and announcing more settlement building. What will it do now that Palestine is on the Internet map?
