The car-rental company Europcar is distributing a map of Jordan which replaces Israel with the words “Palestine National Authority”.
A customer of the Paris-based firm received a copy of the map when hiring a car from its Amman, Jordan, branch. The map also identifies the Golan Heights and West Bank as part of Jordan.
Jordan and Israel made peace in 1994 and officially recognise each other.
A spokeswoman for Europcar in Paris said the map was one of a “small number of Europcar Jordan brochures produced in 2003, containing errors”.
She told the JC: “A corrected brochure is currently being produced to replace the prior version, which is no longer being distributed and has been out of stock for some time. At no time has it been our intention to distribute information of a political nature or whose content might mislead or offend.”
The spokeswoman added that the firm’s Jordanian and Israeli branches will be collaborating later this year for a “Discover Israel and Jordan” package where clients can hire vehicles in both countries on one trip. “This Europcar Israel-Jordan collaboration is an innovative measure in the religious and historical tourism of the region; it is virtually unique in allowing tourists to discover the histories of both Israel and Jordan at their convenience.”
A statement for the Jordanian Embassy said: “Jordan and Israel signed a peace treaty in 1994 by which a reciprocal recognition was made. Jordan and Israel enjoy very close relations and ties.” The embassy added that it had notified Amman of the issue.
Lior Ben Dor, spokesman for the Israeli embassy in London, said: “We are happy to be informed that Europcar have acknowledged their mistake and that the maps they now use include Israel.”
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