Airbnb removes announcements from settlements in West Bank – The Forward

Airbnb Inc leasing company announced Monday that it had decided to withdraw its lists of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, enclaves that most world powers consider illegal to take possession of land where Palestinians seek to obtain the state status. In response, Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin instructed the ministry to restrict the company's operations across the country.

A statement on the Airbnb website said: "We have concluded that we should remove the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which is at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

He did not say when the decision, which according to Airbnb would affect some 200 registrations, would come into effect.

Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan called on Airbnb hosts affected by the decision to take legal action against the company in accordance with Israel's anti-boycott law and announced that he was in danger. he would be speaking to senior US officials to ascertain whether the company's decision violated anti-boycott laws "that exist in more than 25 states."

He said that "national conflicts exist around the world and Airbnb will have to explain why they chose a racist political stance against some Israeli citizens".

The Yesha Colonial Council said in response that "a company that does not hesitate to rent apartments in dictatorships around the world and in places that have no connection with human rights. the man, chooses Israel. This can only be the result of anti-Semitism or abandonment of terrorism – or both. "

Levin asked Airbnb to rescind its "discriminatory" decision, stating that it was "a shameful and miserable decision".

Airbnb has been criticized by the Palestinians for such inscriptions, which some find misleading not to mention that the property is on occupied land claimed by the Palestinians.

"There are divergent views on whether companies should do business in the occupied territories, which are the subject of historical disputes between Israelis and Palestinians," Airbnb's statement said.

Oded Revivi, mayor of the West Bank settlement of Efrat and representative of Yesha, stated that the Airbnb decision was contrary to his mission, as indicated on the website, to "help (ing) bring people together in as many places as possible. the world."