Airbnb properties in Israeli settlements that occupy Palestinian land illegally.

[Helen33]

Airbnb is listing properties for rent in Israeli settlements that violate international law and occupy Palestinian land illegally.

[Maryam-Al-Fakheer0]

Do you think that those property "owners" care for that?

[Helen33]

no I do not think the "Owners" care but I hope enough people make enough noise to make Airbnb consider their position.

[Maryam-Al-Fakheer0]

I hope that too.

[Alan14]

I am not sure how we go about making that noise.  Any ideas?

[John218]

What can we do about it ?We are also keen Airbnb guests, and have stayed all over Europe, and in India. We are hosts too, and have been Superhosts for the past couple of years.

I am now torn.. Do I cut my links with Airbnb ( which is currently our only means of advertising our places)? I am now actively looking for alternatives, because I cannot support Airbnb's recent decision to promote illegal settlement of the West Bank by allowing settlers to advertise their places.

Very very sad about this, and aware any decison I take will cost me.

I have not lost an opportunity to publicize Airbnb. If I decide to close my account, I will have to put a lot of effort into telling people why I have done it. I don't think I am the only Airbnb host or superhost to feel this way.

John 

[Andrea9]

There's always a  petition you can sign

https://community.sumofus.org/petitions/while-palestinians-are-evicted-from-their-homes-airbnb-makes...

[Toby53]

is the petition proposing specific settlement jusidictions be removed from AirBnB? Or perhaps only Area C of the West Bank?

[Sally107]

On behalf of human rights for all people, I hope AirBnb will NOT support/allow properties to be listed in Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian Territories.

Human rights trump money and profits.

[Toby53]

Hi all, this thread raises valid concerns. However, I think it's a bit more complicated (as usual) and the ask being made of AirBnB will have unintended consequences. For example;

Some owners renting out AirBnB flats on the 'wrong' side of the green line could actually be Palestinian. The people who deserve as much economic justice as possible. So, what could be asked of AirBnB is that they determine who is Israeli renting out a room on the 'wrong' side of the line, to remove them from the site. Otherwise they would potentially be financially punishing Palestinian home owners. But this raises the question, should AirBnB actually determine who is Jewish renting space within the West Bank occupied territory? Or that AirBnB determine who is of non-Palestinian lineage for removal from the site? There are Palestinian Muslims and Christians who could also be Israeli citizens renting out flats in this contested region.

I'm not defending the very real human rights violations happening in Israel and the occupied territories daily, I’m not saying that Arab Muslims and Christians don’t live a second class citizenship within the state of Israel, and I'm not saying the occupied territories are not land theft. What I am saying is that asking AirBnB to pick out the backgrounds of the owners renting flats on their site and removing the ones that by international law aren't supposed to be there just doesn't seem like a path that makes sense to walk down.

[Toby53]

if the petition is proposing specific settlement jurisdictions be removed from AirBnB, or perhaps only Area C of the West Bank, then it starts to have the economic impact as desired. However, I can't find information on the petition that gets this specific, hence the concern for unintended consequences.

I may reconsider my position if the petition is only about Area C or specific settlements..

[Dan541]

you are not saying  but YOU are saying thing as if they are true so many land dispute in the world and you AGAIN single out the Jews in israel shame on you check your motives.

especialy when you are so afraid to hurt the muslims that are hosting in AIRBNB - just shame. 

[Nigel86]

It's not a singling out, Dan. The people on this thread and millions of others are concerned, and they have a right to select what they want as a cause to support especially when there are sound legal and ethical reasons to do so. So stop trying to make this into an anti-Semitic issue, when it is about land theft and gross violations of human rights. Take shame upon yourself. 

[Mike908]

As a protest for your political antisemitic decision to exclude Jewish homes in the West Bank in Israel from AirBnB (Which shows you don't understand the West Bank is a name of a geographic area ruled once by Jordan and home might belong to either side) I will limit my use in AirBnB, and stop using your platform.
As far as I know, Israel is the only conflict zone you took a political stand at. This is called hypocrisy, and it shows your company is influenced by inner political agendas, which a bad for any company.

For all the westeners who support it, the conflict is way too complicated for you to understand while sitting on your comfy couch back home. Your ignorance in the day to day lives being involved is outrageous. Soda Stream's factory moved from the West Bank: results: a lot of Palestinians lost their jobs which included making friendly connections with Jewish peers. Afterwards Soda Stream made a 3 billion $ exit. 

[Karin36]

I will sign any petition that gives hosts across the globe equal rights.  Allowing Palestinians to rent out a room on airbnb but blocking Israelis from doing the same thing in the same neighborhood is wrong.  It is discrimination.   Let's let the world leaders and politicians figure out the politics, borders, etc; while they work out this mess, we, as hosts, and fellow human beings,  should encourage airbnb to remain apolitical and  continue to offer a  platform that doesn't favor, or discriminate against, any one group of people.