Bishop states the atlas will confirm Israel's belief that there is hostility towards the country from parts of the Arab world

Publishing giant HarperCollins has been criticised for omitting Israel from an atlas.

The country is not labelled on the map - bought by English-speaking schools in the majority-Muslim Gulf, while Gaza and Jordan are clearly marked.

Collins Bartholomew, the subsidiary of HarperCollins, told The Tablet that including Israel would have been 'unacceptable' to their customers in the Gulf and the amendment incorporated 'local preferences'.

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Omitted: The map in the Collins Bartholomew atlas, sold to English-speaking schools in the majority-Muslim Gulf, omits Israel

Bishop Declan Lang, chairman of the Bishops' Conference Department of International Affairs, told The Tablet: '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.'

US-based HarperCollins Publishers is is a subsidiary of News Corp, whose executive chairman, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, is famously pro-Israel.

Comparison: The map included in the Collins Bartholomew atlas (left) omits Israel. The image on the right shows where the state should be labelled

But HarperCollins has put the omission down to a genuine error.

A spokesman said: 'HarperCollins regrets the omission of the name Israel from their Collins Middle East Atlas.

'This product has now been removed from sale in all territories and all remaining stock will be pulped. HarperCollins sincerely apologises for this omission and for any offence caused.'

But the decision to omit Israel on the map has sparked anger on social media, with some Twitter users calling for the boycott of HarperCollins.

If you have books published by #HarperCollins on your bookshelf, consider burning them... Boycott them... There is no Israel — Just Andrew (@Zimbandrew) December 31, 2014

Dear @HarperCollins, We've been here for almost 6K yrs. B4 textbooks or atlas' existed. Printed or not, #Israel will always be here. — Manny B (@mb3992) December 31, 2014

Dr Jane Clements, director of the Council of Christians and Jews, told The Tablet: 'Maps can be a very powerful tool in terms of de-legitimising "the other" and can lead to confusion rather than clarity.

'We would be keen to see relevant bodies ensure that all atlases anywhere reflect the official UN position on nations, boundaries and all political features.'

Maps which recognise Israel include Google Maps, Apple Maps, MapQuest, National Geographic, Peters World Map, Yahoo! Maps and Lonely Planet.