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JetBlue's new seatback map sparks controversy over labeling of Israel

JetBlue's new seatback map sparks controversy over labeling of Israel
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Airbus A380 | Airbus

JetBlue’s seat back entertainment map now displays the Palestinian territory in "significantly larger text" than Israel, overlaying much of what is internationally recognized as Israel. This change has raised concerns among some passengers and observers.

The airline recently stopped allowing flight attendants to wear unapproved pins, such as Palestinian flag pins, after an incident where a passenger was removed by police for questioning one such pin. However, the updated moving map seems to reflect a middle ground between recognizing Palestine and exclusively recognizing it.

According to the new map, "Israel’s northern border does not include the Golan Heights" and there is no clear division of the West Bank. Instead, much of what is typically acknowledged as Israel appears labeled as 'Palestine'.

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JetBlue acknowledged the change but attributed it to a third-party provider. In a statement, they said:

"The map app on seatback screens allows customers to see where their aircraft is flying at any given time. The digital maps are licensed from a third-party provider to JetBlue and other airlines around the world. We have reached out to the service provider to understand how their maps are sourced."

Despite attributing the issue to an external provider, JetBlue did not express concern over these choices nor committed to addressing them.

Previously, other airlines have faced similar issues with inflight maps. For instance, Swiss Airlines had a policy of turning off its inflight map 30 minutes before arrival in Israel to avoid displaying Israeli territories.

JetBlue is headquartered in New York City, which hosts the largest Jewish population outside of Israel. The controversy comes amid heightened tensions and demonstrations in cities like New York and Amsterdam.

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