Israel had raised concerns that images of its streets could be used by terrorists. But last August, Google said it reached a deal with the government.
Google officials formally unveiled Street View on Saturday, and the company's servers were quickly overwhelmed by traffic on the site. Google analysts soon realized that all the site views were coming from the Occupied Territories. Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath, or day of rest.
Google Street View provides detailed panoramic photos of nearly every house and public institution in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Dimona to the Web.
The pictures offer images of ordinary life, contested areas, religious sites and nuclear weapons sites in the Holy Land. Due to security issues, areas around several sensitive sites, such as the military headquarters in Tel Aviv and a large dome-shaped object in Dimona, are blurred.
Google is currently in negotiations to expand Street View to the Occupied Territories. Israeli officials, however, are split on this issue.
Israel is the first Middle Eastern country to offer Street View.
Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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Editor's Note: See the original Associated Press news release here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gmsSqtg7Rz4eL0-VaEPIq5EsHokA?docId=310c5370d5644b2780014d81359b5df9
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Editor's Note: See the original Associated Press news release here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gmsSqtg7Rz4eL0-VaEPIq5EsHokA?docId=310c5370d5644b2780014d81359b5df9
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