Israel

[Kathleen318]

I have just read in World Israel News that Airbnb announced it is removing lodging listings placed by Israelis who live in communities in Judea and Samaria.  Biblically, Judea and Samaria are part of Israel. Israelis are mostly Jews with some being called Palestinians, who are Arabs and who love Israel, as it is the one place in the middle east where they can live freely and prosper.  Is this really true?  Are these people being excluded? 

The article went on further to state that "Around half a million Israelis live in Judea and Samaria, alongside Arab communities governed by the Palestinian Authority...Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin immediately demanded that Airbnb cancel its “discriminatory decision to remove from its site listings in Judea and Samaria.”

A statement issued by Levin’s office characterized the policy as a “disgraceful and miserable surrender” to anti-Israel activists. Levin also reportedly ordered his office to formulate immediate measures to curtail the company’s activity throughout Israel, instructing his ministry to initiate a special program to stimulate tourism and increase demand for vacation rentals throughout Judea and Samaria."

How can this discrimination based on someone's bias against Jews and Israel be allowed to stand?  I expected that those who run this ingenious company that is helping so many of us to earn a living by hosting and to visit other wonderful hosts who love having us in their homes would be above this sort of discrimination.  This is wrong!  

Can you please verify this for me, or update me on decisions that have been made to right this wrong that may have transpired after these things were written?

[Alla22]

I read this article as well and I am appauled. This is absolutely unacceptable and airbnb should not take any political stands of any kind. If you care and support Israel, we must take a stand and let them know that we are not supporting their decision. This is true anti-semitism move. Shame on them. I will call them tomorrow and let them know my opinion, will see how it goes.

[Helen3]

This is nothing to do with anti-semitism and everything to do with not supporting the dreadful illegal occupation of the West Bank. Surely you do not agree with throwing thousands of people off their land and giving it to someone else who has no right to it? 

The only shame here is that it has taken so long for Airbnb to act.

[Sarah977]

While I agree that Airbnb should not get involved in political disputes, there have been about 3 or 4 threads pop up on this today and I'm rather surprised that people are characterizing this as anti-semitism. I'm Jewish, and being anti-semitic and being anti-Israel (because of their attitude towards the Palestinians) are not one and the same. I lived in Israel for 2 years and the prejudice of Israeli Jews towards Arabs I found appalling.

[Kathleen318]

I understand you live in Mexico. The Israelis are presently hunkered down in shelters while the bombs from Hamas in Gaza are falling on them. Many have been killed. The mainstream media is silent and will continue to be silent until Israel fights back with strength. Hamas holds the Gaza people captive to use as human shields. When Israel fights back they strike the source of the attack and try to save as many civilian lives as possible, even taking Palestinian wounded into their own hospitals to care for them. The very opposite will be broadcast on the mainstream media. They will make IsraeI to look as they are the agressors. My heart breaks for them. Lies...constant lies are told worldwide by the Palestinian authorities and videos will be made showing the carnage and it will be told that they were Palestinian civilians instead of Israelis. I've seen some of these Palestinian videos where supposed Palestinian civilians are under blankets, supposedly dead, and yet under the blankets there are sounds and movement. It's all lies, hoaxes and pictures ofoone thing that they report to be another. I hope you will look up these things on alternative media and find out the truth. You won't find it in mainstream media. 

[Sarah977]

@Kathleen318  I'm not sure what relevancy you think living in Mexico has.  I'm not going to debate the issue here, it's not the place for it. Like I said, I Iived in Israel for 2 years, I know the attitudes there and they didn't impress me, nor does the creation of the state of Israel impress me. There were already people living there who called it home, then suddenly it was designated as someone else's home.

[Nahum2]

I was deeply upset about the decision to exclude Jews from hosting in the Israeli-administered territories under dispute. This is a political decision - and a form of boycott.  Of course guests have the choice where to stay, and if they feel uncomfortable about staying in a Jewish community, they have every right to stay elsewhere. But to exclude Jews from hosting because of their geographical location - that's something else- and quite ugly.  Many of the Jewish communities where guests once had the option of visiting existed before 1948 - when the Arabs expelled or killed the Jews living there. They were rebuilt after Israel gained control over these territories in 1967. 
We look forward to peace with our Arab neighbors, and hope that the political future of these areas can be settled through negotiations that will lead to peace.  But joining an anti-Jewish boycott is unworthy of Airbnb. 
I have enjoyed using airbnb on my trips abroad in the past. I will no longer be able to do so, and that upsets me. 

[Helen3]

This is not about people feeling uncomfortable about staying with Jewish communities. This is about Airbnb not supporting the horrific and illegal occupation of the West Bank where thousands of Palestians have had their homes and land forceably taken from them and given to people who are Jewish.

This is in no way an anti-Jewish boycott and to intimate this is to try and make it into a debate about anti-semitism.

This is about not profitting from an illegal and immoral occupation.

Shame you don't feel the same way about Palestinians being thrown off their land and not allowed back onto the West Bank.

None of my Jewish friends support this illegal occupation.

[Nigel86]

It's not an exclusion of Jews Nahum, so please do not twist reality. You know what the truth is. It is an exclusion of anyone who is breaking international law and occupying another people's land. That those people happen to be Jewish is no ones fault but their own. They know they are illegally occupying and can only remain there because they use military force. they choose to be there, in which case they place themselves in direct conflict with legality not to mention morality.

Thankfully some of the most powerful voices to speak up in defence of Palestinians are Jewish, and without them the BDS movement would not be so effective.

[Kathleen318]

Thank you Sarah. You are correct. This is not the platform to be discussing this topic. I understand. There are a lot of voices on this issue. If you have not already, I do hope you will read what Mark Twain said about his visit to Israel in his day. Also the history on how the Jews began to return to Israel after WWII persecution and of the wonderful historic antiquities that have now been uncovered in Jerusalem, such as the City of David.  Read the history of Israel written in the Torah. Go back to the days of Moses and read God's promises. The battle we see today goes back to the days of Abraham, Isaac and Ishmael. The Arabs are a fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham through Ishmael and of the Jews through Isaac and Jacob. These are the same people who tried to destroy the Jews during the days of Esther. Look at the map of Arabia. It's huge! They only wanted to go to that tiny land after the Jews were returning. Very few of them resided in that barren land before that, according to Mark Twain's writing. Very interesting history. You are blessed to be one of God's chosen. According to prophecy concerning the last days, IsraeI will blossom like a rose. It's happening. Have a great night. 

[Sarah977]

@Kathleen318   No, sorry, I don't feel like God's chosen- that's the kind of attitude that has caused unspeakable horrors all over the world. Anyone who thinks that, that they are somehow better than others, and that God is on their side and not anyone else's is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

[Nigel86]

Palestinians are a people defending themselves and trying to free themselves from a brutal colonial occupation. Tell the truth Kathleen. Enough of these lies.

[Kathie21]

But the bottom line is, Israel has stolen and continues to steal land, evey year.  What are Palestinians supposed to do, just accept it?  Would Americans accept Mexico annexing towns in Texas and turfing out the inhabitants to replace them with Mexicans without fighting back in whatever way they could? 

[Nigel86]

Your sentiments are shared by many Sarah. I would only add that pulling out is not a political act. It's one of moral consistency. It would be unethical to continue trading whilst knowing that the client you are dealing with is breaking agreed international law. Airbnb would be an accessory to an illegal act if they continued trading in the occupied Palestinian Lands. That there may be political fall out is unavoidable.

[Margaret157]

Hi, everyone ~ I'd like to be kept in the loop on this topic. Has anyone contacted Airbnb directly to confirm this policy? If it's true, unfortately, I'm going to have to take my business elsewhere ~ as a host and as a guest. This is not good. There's a petition on Stand With Us, if it interest you. I am unable to post the link here, but you can just google it.