Israeli troops relying on Waze app blunder into Palestinian area; clashes follow

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Israeli troops relying on Waze app blunder into Palestinian area; clashes follow

By Ruth Eglash March 1 at 10:57 AM

JERUSALEM — A gun battle broke out in a Palestinian neighborhood late Monday after Israeli forces tried to rescue two soldiers who had mistakenly entered the area because of an error on a satellite navigation app, Israeli authorities said Tuesday.

The clashes in the Qalandiya refu­gee camp outside Jerusalem left at least one Palestinian dead and 10 injured, one seriously. At least 10 Israeli soldiers also were wounded during the hour-long operation.

According to initial Israeli reports, the two soldiers said they had been using Waze, a highly touted, Israeli-invented navigation app bought more than two years ago by Google. The smartphone app, which has a settings option to “avoid dangerous areas,” relies on crowdsourcing to give users the fastest traffic routes.

But in places where the app is not widely used — such as the Palestinian villages surrounding Jerusalem and in the West Bank — the service could face limitations.

Agence France-Presse quoted a Waze official on Tuesday as saying that the setting to warn about areas “dangerous or prohibited for Israelis to drive through” had been switched off on the device the soldiers used.

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Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/battles-erupts-after-israeli-soldiers-follow-apparent-gps-error-into-palestinian-zone/2016/03/01/940307ef-503f-4a98-8abb-01cf6357a850_story.html

[bemildred]

1. Always remember the computer is your friend. nt

[leftynyc]

2. Having used Waze

to avoid a HUGE backup in NYC recently, I can understand how it happened. You're relying on the reporting of other drivers to tell you what's going on. I can see where that can be a problem in that neighborhood.

[King_David]

3. Developed in Israel....

"Waze was developed in Israel by the startup company "Waze Mobile"
:Wikipedia

[leftynyc]

5. That's where I learned about it

Our tour guide used it in Tzfat to find our hotel. My sister uses it a lot and it really did get us around a MASSIVE traffic jam in a very slick way. We loved it.

[MisterP]

4. and promptly established a bridghehead and sent for the armored "dehousing" dozers

[Mufaddal]

6. And here I was literally just two days ago telling my wife we should try Waze

According to initial Israeli reports, the two soldiers said they had been using Waze, a highly touted, Israeli-invented navigation app bought more than two years ago by Google.

Guess we'll stick to Google Maps.

[Israeli]

7. There must be 50 WAZE to erase the Green Line...........

http://972mag.com/there-must-be-50-waze-to-erase-the-green-line/19880/

+
Guided by Waze Into the Heart of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict

Or, how the Cohens almost got lynched: If only reality was as efficient and simple as algorithms.

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.616596

Setting: 'Stay within Israel'

This happens because Waze is politically neutral. The app does not differentiate between the Israeli-controlled Area C, the joint Israeli-Palestinian Area B, and the Palestinian-controlled Area A. That is why earlier this year, the Israeli army banned use of the app by soldiers in Judea and Samaria, so they don't get lost and end up in "sticky" situations.

The app does include a setting “Keep within areas under Israeli authority” but then how does one define East Jerusalem, or most of the West Bank?

In an interview with Israeli Army Radio, Eti Cohen shared her conclusion from her ordeal: “Don’t use Waze in Jerusalem.”

Arguably, it wasn't Waze’s fault. Any GPS app would have probably yielded the same results, for a very simple reason: there is something inherently ridiculous about a navigation app that is supposed to navigate what is notoriously one of the most politically-unnavigitable areas in the world.

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How a Google-owned Navigation App Left Israeli Soldiers Eyeless in a Palestinian Refugee Camp

Two soldiers losing their way in the West Bank with the help of Waze makes a perfect parable for a nation that has also has lost its way.

read more: http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.706453