No Israel in HarperCollins atlas

London: The  book publishing giant, HarperCollins, has omitted Israel from atlases to be sold for schools, The Telegraph reported. The Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales has accused the company of harming peace efforts in the Middle East by leaving Israel off its maps

HarperCollins sells English-language atlases to schools in the Middle East that omit Israel. Collins Middle East atlases show Jordan and Syria extending to the Mediterranean but do mark the position of the West Bank.

“The publication of this atlas will confirm Israel’s belief that there exists a hostility towards their country from parts of the Arab world. It will not help to build up a spirit of trust leading to peaceful co-existence,” said  the chairman of the Bishops’ Conference Department.

However, Collins Bartholomew, the subsidiary of HarperCollins that specialises in maps, said that including Israel would have been “unacceptable” to their customers in the Gulf and the amendment incorporated “local preferences”.