Airbnb...is this article true???? Please assure me this is a misunderstanding...

Karin36
Level 6
Richmond, Canada

Airbnb...is this article true???? Please assure me this is a misunderstanding...

AirBNB Goes Anti-Semitic

 

On Monday, AirBNB, the home-rental company that is often used by tourists to rent apartments in locations around the globe, announced that it would not allow Jewish settlements to be listed in Judea and Samaria. AirBNB stated:

We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.

This is the sheerest form of corporate anti-Semitism in recent memory. Not only did AirBNB specifically target “Israeli settlements,” according to Professor Eugene Kontorovich of George Mason Law, they’ve announced that they will only disallow listings in Israeli settlements when those listings are owned by Jews. In other words, if a Jew owns an apartment in East Jerusalem, that won’t be allowed for listing; if an Arab owns an apartment in the same neighborhood, it’s fine for listing.

This is absurd. As Dr. Michael Oren points out, AirBNB lists apartments in Turkish-occupied Cyprus, the Moroccan-occupied Sahara, Chinese-occupied Tibet and Russian-occupied Crimea. Not only that, but AirBNB allows listings in a wide variety of countries without any democratic rights and with wildly discriminatory policies.

Judea and Samaria are disputed territories, not “occupied” territories. Israel controls those territories thanks to repeated refusal by Arab states that repeatedly declared war on Israel to accept any peace deal. Radical Muslim anti-Semites and their left-wing apologists insist not only that these territories be turned over to the terrorist Palestinian Authority for control, but that Jews evacuate those territories entirely, making them Judenrein. Remember, this AirBNB policy isn’t targeting the Israeli government — it’s targeting Jews themselves for living in areas under international dispute.

Leaders of the BDS movement are explicitly anti-Semitic, calling openly for the end of Israel’s existence. The very notion of labeling Jewish products from particular areas for boycott is reminiscent of Nazi policy directed against Jews. As Alan Dershowitz writes:

The boycott against Israel and its Jewish supporters (to many Palestinians, all of Israel is one big "settlement"; just look at any map of Palestine) began before any "occupation" or "settlements" and picked up steam just as Israel offered to end the "occupation" and settlements as part of a two-state solution that the Palestinians rejected. BDS is not a protest against Israel's policies. It is a protest against Israel's very existence.

Still, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) is gaining serious steam on the mainstream Left these days thanks to the intersectional notion that Jews rank high on the hierarchy of privilege. Such thinking allows anti-Semitism to thrive across the world, and particularly in the Middle East. AirBNB’s latest move is simply the best evidence yet that the intersectional Leftist ideology has invaded the corporate world, and that anti-Semitism is perfectly acceptable among otherwise “woke” actors on the Left.

 

This article can be found on The Daily Wire...somehow I can't embed the link...

143 Replies 143
Brian750
Level 1
Southport, Australia

I cannot add much more than has already been said other than my unbridled disgust at the antisemitic attitude of air bnb .

Atrocious  and unbelievable in 2018.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

As I've posted, I'm against Airbnb getting involved in anything like this, but if I oppose Nazism, does that mean I'm anti-German? If I oppose what China is doing in Tibet, does that mean I'm predjudiced against Chinese people? If I oppose the current US administartion and its actions, does that mean I'm anti-American? Opposing Israeli occupation in the West Bank is not anti-Semitic. It's a human rights issue, whether you agree that the Jews have a right to be there or not.

Yes, it's a human rights issue. The anti-Semitism accusation is a smear tactic to silence protest.

David2564
Level 1
Nahariyya, Israel

 

 
 
Dear Friends,
 
Who were the "range of experts" Airbnb consulted?
Why is Airbnb unwilling to release a list of their names?
See below correspondance I have had with Airbnb on this matter.
Who did they consult?
 
 
ER 22, 2018
David
David10:43 AM
Dear Airbnb folks,

I would very much appreciate it if you send me a complete list of all the "experts" you consulted in making your recent decision to de-list the properties of 150-200 Israeli Jews.

Thank you for your prompt attention in this regard.

David ****

󹀁
Thanks for your message — Airbnb Support will reply as soon as a specialist becomes available.
10:43 AM
Airbnb Support
Airbnb Support10:55 AM
Hi David. Thank you for reaching out to us. This is Nick from Airbnb's customer experience team. 
We know that this is a controversial issue, and we thank you for reaching out. There are many strong views here, and we respect all of them. We did not make this decision lightly.
I'm not an expert on this subject. To answer your questions about the decision, I recommend reading the statement we published to our website. You may click the link below. Feel free to respond for further assistance. Thank you.

press.airbnb.com/listings-in-disputed-regions/
David
David10:57 AM
Hi Nick,
Thanks for your response. No need to be an expert. I am only asking you to release a list of the names of all the "experts" you consulted.
An Airbnb team "wrestled" with the issue. Who did you consult? Simple question.
Airbnb Support
Airbnb Support11:04 AM
Hi David, 

We know that this is a controversial issue and we thank you for reaching out. There are many strong views here and we respect all of them. We did not make this decision lightly.

We are most certainly not the experts when it comes to the historical disputes in this region. We have wrestled with this issue and we have struggled to come up with the right approach.

We must consider the impact we have as a global platform and we believe we have a responsibility to act accordingly. In order to help us do that, we developed a framework for evaluating how we should treat listings in occupied territories across the world.

Based on that framework and taking a case by case approach we concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.

We hope that someday sooner rather than later the entire global community will be aligned but at the moment this is an aspirational hope. We continue to hope for peace and a way forward.

Please refer to our press release for more information: 

https://press.airbnb.com/listings-in-disputed-regions/
David
David11:07 AM
Nick,
Pete and Repeat are sitting on a fence. Pete falls off. Who is left?
Repeat. Pete and Repeat are sitting on a fence, Pete fell off......
You re-quote the press release. I am asking you for a list of "experts". Is this a company secret? What is behind your unwillingness to answer a simple question. The "experts" were consulted. There are records of the consultations. Airbnb staff who "wrestled " with the issue spoke to these people. Again, simple matter. Who did Airbnb talk to?
Airbnb Support
Airbnb Support11:14 AM
David, for questions, comments, or other inquiries can be directed to press@airbnb.com. Thank you.
David11:19 AM
Nick, Are you a person or a robot? I have asked this question at press@airbnb.com.
I get the same answer there. No answer but a repition of the press release. I want to know the names of the "experts". Why is Airbnb unwilling to answer this simple question?
 

Thank you!
 
*[Personal infromation hidden for safety reasons in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

Thank you for sharing your communication with Airbnb. If you don't mind, I'd like to pass it on to a friend of mine.

 

If you called me asking who in my company consulted before making a decision, I wouldn't have the foggiest idea as to who they've brought in.  It's not a refusal to release such information.  It's just that this individual truly doesn't know.

Good work David, but you probably are getting the same response as if you had a damage claim as well!

Even with the famous $1 million insurance policy.  

Harold56
Level 1
Dunwoody, GA

"I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb community—regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias."

 

This is a statement that AirBnB has you agree to before joining the AirBnB program . Yet, by their recent action in banning Jewish owned properties in the "Disputed" territories (Call it "The West Bank" or Judea & Samaria" I don't care) the Company breaks its own rule & requirement. No-one can say this is not "Disputed" territory, it clearly is, just read all the comments to this posting.

 

Therefore, until this "dispute" is resolved by the parties involved, why is not AirBnB banning also Arab owned properties in this  "disputed" territory???  So then, where is AirBnB's  " . . .  respect, and without judgment or bias" ????? Sorry, this is starting to smell like anti-semitism to me.

John1080
Level 10
Westcliffe, CO

As others have said, this is a human rights issues. Once the Palestinian Authority decides to stop attacking Israeli citizens and turn away from their agenda to drive Jews into the sea, perhaps there can be some movement on the peace process.  

Tom58
Level 2
Austin, TX

I also am extremely disappointed in this action by Airbnb.  This is part of a disturbig trend that has appeared in the last few years in which Airbnb management seems determined to insert its politics and virtue signaling into a purely commercial relationship.  I use Airbnb, both as a host and as a traveler because it allows me to make mutually convenient arrangements.  In that aspect it does a pretty good job.  All of the rest is a distraction and has no place in the system.  The world is a big, contentious place, and as adults we do our best to negotiate it.  We do not need the "right-thinking" people or airbnb injecting their politics into the system

Amira23
Level 2
Ann Arbor, MI

Thanks Airbnb for doing the right thing and standing up for the oppressed. Not agreeing with Israeli politics has nothing to do with anti-Semitism. 

The phoenix that rose from the ashes of the holocaust should be more compassionate towards the plight of the Palestinians.

Now I am even more proud to be part of the Airbnb community. 

 

Haldis-Venke0
Level 2
Vågåmo, Norway

I also am extremely disappointed in this action by Airbnb. 

As a houst I have to agree to Airbnb`s statement:

"I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb community—regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias."

When Airbnb themselves now breakes this statement, I am no longer proud to be a Airbnb houst. And I will quit beeing a houst if Airbnb don`t change it`s  decision in this case.  

This takes away the foundation on which the community is based. Ouer guidelines are Including and respect for EVERYONE. So I hope that Airbnb gives us a new information becouse this is not good for a organization that is build on respect and tolerance for each other.

This discussion that we see here tell us all what this is, and it is not worthy an organization that is build on including and respect

I am awaiting a reaction and a statement from Airbnb to cancel this act of discrimination of the jews i Samaria and Judea.

Margaret157
Level 7
Cheltenham, PA

I find it ironic that when I was going to no longer allow college students at my property because all ~ all ~ of them trashed the place, I received much criticism from the Airbnb community and repeated threatening communication from Airbnb management until I backed down. Such "discrimination" would not be tolerated by Airbnb, yet cherry-picking to cull Jews is acceptable policy. (What they intend to do with the Christian Arabs who host remains to be seen.) I will host my pending guests and then conclude my relationship with Airbnb, as both host and guest, and happily take my business elsewhere.  

Daniel1992
Level 10
Downingtown, PA

"AirBnB Goes Anti-Semitic" is not only a sensational headline, it's 100% untrue.  You can still host a Jewish guest.  You can still stay with a Jewish host.  Hell, you can get an AirBnB in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.  What AirBnB is doing is taking the stance that the Israeli settlements in Gaza and the West Bank are illegal, and are removing listings in those settlements, regardless of faith.

I hope this clears it up.