Airbnb plans to remove lists from Israeli settlements: NPR

Some residents of the Israeli settlement Eli, presented here in 2016, have rented properties via Airbnb.

David Vaaknin for the Washington Post / Getty Images

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David Vaaknin for the Washington Post / Getty Images

Some residents of the Israeli settlement Eli, presented here in 2016, have rented properties via Airbnb.

David Vaaknin for the Washington Post / Getty Images

Airbnb rental company announced its intention to abolish registrations in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin described the operation as "shameful capitulation", while Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat called the move "a positive first step".

In general, settlements are perceived by Palestinians and the international community as an obstacle to peace. The Human Rights Council and the United Nations Security Council have stated that settlements captured by Israel are illegal under international law.

Airbnb said in a statement that its decision would impact about 200 Airbnb ads. He stated that he had already authorized inscriptions in Israeli settlements in the West Bank "because we believe that people-to-people travel has considerable value," adding that he had made the final decision after weighing the question over time and have spoken with experts.

"We concluded that we should remove the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," the company said. "We know that people will not agree with this decision and will appreciate their point of view."

As of Monday afternoon, the lists in the settlements still seem to be on the site. The company told NPR's Daniel Estrin that it planned to remove them "in the coming days."

Levin said the Ministry of Tourism was taking measures to "limit the company's activities throughout the country". And Gilad Erdan, Minister of Strategic Affairs, encourages those affected by the new policy to sue Airbnb.

This comes after pressure from advocacy groups. Human Rights Watch says it's urging Airbnb to leave the controversial region during two years.

"In fact, they are helping to negotiate rentals on stolen land to Palestinians, for whom these Palestinians themselves are prevented from entering," Estrin Omar Shakir, director of Human Rights Watch, told Reuters. Palestine and Palestine. The organization is preparing to publish Tuesday a report on the issue, entitled "Bed and Breakfast on Stolen Land".

Airbnb made this announcement in a post titled "Announcements in disputed regions". It did not specify any policy changes in other areas of dispute, but indicated that each situation should be assessed on a "case by case" basis.

Israelis say they feel excluded, while other ongoing conflicts have not been scrutinized at the international level. "Airbnb's top management will have to explain why it has specifically and solely opted to implement this political and discriminatory decision in the case of citizens of the state of Israel," said Erdan.

Eliana Passentin, an Israeli citizen living in the Eli settlement in the West Bank, told Estrin that she rented her house several times to tourists. She criticized the decision of Airbnb.

"It does not make sense," said Passentin. "They have become political, instead of building bridges, they are building fences."

Companies linked to Israeli settlements are increasingly being monitored by the United Nations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in a report published earlier this year, listed some 200 companies that deal with settlements; as Estrin pointed out at the time, the United States and Israel urged the United States not to publish this list.

Israel has also criticized the decision saying it distinguishes Israel.