Airbnb in Palestine

Anita37
Level 1
Durham, ME

Airbnb in Palestine

It's disturbing to me as a longtime Airbnb host that Airbnb is allowing people in the illegal settlements on the West Bank in Palestine to rent their "properties."  (A UN resolution declared them illegal).  If the Palestinian people can't got there, why should foreign tourists be going there?  Come on Airbnb -- get responsible!

30 Replies 30

I second that.  Airbnb has just back pedalled - All of us hosts outside th US were all thinking of leaving airbnb but they agreed to delist the homes advertised on the ruins of Palestinian homes.  All 37 nations of the EU are  against the illegal settlements in the West Bank and the illegal occupation of the Golan Heights - so this is not a minority view.  Now airbnb has back pedalled so unless they agree to a delisting again,  there will be a massive exodus and the airbnb brand will be synonymous with oppression and human suffering - is that what airbnb wants - for real?

That`s True AirBnb must cancel services in Illegal settlements in Palestine

Joanne674
Level 2
Charter Twp of Clinton, MI

Well put!! Thank you from a Palestinian American. 

Sally407
Level 1
England, United Kingdom

Please could airb&b distinguish between airb&b offered by Israelis in illegal settlements within the West Bankand those airb&b offered by Palestinians in their perfectly legal houses and homes.  We have recently returned from staying with a Palestinian family in the West Bank who supplement their meagre income via letting out rooms on airb&b.  It is one way in which travellers and tourists can meet Palestinians and a vital source of income for some of these families.    I worry that there will be a blanket ban (for ease) on airb&b in the West Bank and again the Palestinians will lose out.

sally

I agree with you - those homes advertised on the ruins of palestinian homes should be delisted with immediate effect while those properties advertised by Palestinians should remain listed.  However I guess there are not many such homes - the problem is that airbnb is not even listing the geographical locations properly of non settlement locations - there are posts on here of people not being able to list their location.  This needs to be fixed as well - it is adding to the oppression of the Palestinian people.  Airbnb should be synonmous with happiness, travel and exploring different cultures.  It should not be synonymous with oppression and human suffering.

Amnon-M0
Level 2
Herzliya, Israel


Palestine does not exist, in fact it is a new dream of Jordanian Arabs, and some Israeli Arabs, yet there is "Palestine" listing, of homes located in places which are inside "ISRAEL" - so it is clear, this company is siding with evil and lies. The good news, there are other companies, which are not siding with wrong political deviations.

We now use:
https://www.homeaway.ca
https://www.homeaway.com

Aaltje0
Level 2
Balclutha, New Zealand

 Correct. I am not familiar with homeaway in New Zealand. I will ask my 3 Israeli guests who just arrive what they think of the matter. Shalom   Amnon M. 

Katy151
Level 1
Lafayette, CO

I'm a longtime Airbnb host as well. I heard that Airbnb had decided to stop allowing people in the illegal settlements on the West Bank to rent their properties.  However, I understand they caved to pressure to once again allow these rentals.  If this is true, I will consider pulling my property off Airbnb and find another way to rent.  Can someone confirm if this is true?

Yes it is unfortunately true until such time that airbnb confirms otherwise to our comments here.

John2580
Level 2
Nairobi, Kenya

It is shocking beyong belief that  Airbnb nnounced a delisting of illegal Israeli settlement rentals and have now back pedaled, allowing rentals on the ruins of Palestinian lives and land. 

 

As a host I feel very strongly about this - I am neither Jewish or Muslim but I do possess Love and Empathy for fellow human beings.  I know many people all over the world who are profitable hosts on airbnb and they were thinking of closing their accounts but then airbnb said they would delist illegal Israeli settment rentals.  Now we are back to square one and there will be a massive exodus of people hosting on airbnb.

 

We do not want, as hosts, to be seen to be supporting the oppression of fellow human beings.  For us the airbnb brand should be synonymous with fun, travel and exploring the culture and natural bauty of different pockets in our earth.  However now airbnb will be synonymous with oppression and suffering - this is so very sad.  Is that what you want airbnb? For Real?

Chris1826
Level 1
Clacton-on-Sea, United Kingdom

I will no longer rent through AirBNB . The settlement process is illegal and wrong but supported by Airbnb.

 

As for the comment about Palestine that is clearly factually wrong. Palestine has existed for many centuries and is a place where Christians and Muslims have lived in harmony.   

Joanne674
Level 2
Charter Twp of Clinton, MI

Thank you for your solidarity with me and my people.

Awel0
Level 2
Penrhyndeudraeth, United Kingdom

I will be de-activating my AirBnB account on May 15th, the anniversary of the Nakba – the day when a million Palestinians lost their land and homes.  

I do this with a heavy heart because we have rented a room in our home for now a third year running and met wonderful people from all over the world.

However Airbnb is choosing to continue listing apartments for rent in illegal Israeli settlements. These properties are built on stolen Palestinian land and are considered war crimes under international law. 
By doing business in these settlements, Airbnb is directly promoting discrimination, oppression, and injustice against an entire people. 

Sarah1028
Level 3
Torigni-sur-Vire, France

I'm sorry to see that Airbnb has backtracked on their promise to delist rentals on stolen land.

I will be closing my account today 15 May.

Melodie-And-John0
Level 10
Munnsville, NY

With all due respect to the very passionate POV's presented here, I truly believe this situation is not as cut and dried as has been presented in tiny tweets.  Airbnb is an international company and has a responsibility to represent its customers first and always, its not a Political or Aid org and should not become one.   

 

They do not have the resources needed to properly staff their help lines, we should not wish for them to venture into the political forefront where they have zero influence and no standing and will distract limited resources from supporting their customers.   If they take a stand on this subject, why would they not be required to take one on the rest of the world, a planet that has no end of bad things to atone for?  Modern day Cancel Culture too often is short sighted in its exactment of a pound of vengeance, unintended consequences often hurt the people that can least afford it. 

 

Please lets not try to do here in some half baked manner what the World Courts, United Nations and other world human rights orgs have been tasked to address with real resources and the entire picture to derive solution with and from.  Lets Keep Airbnb focused on business for the sake of those of us that depend on them to come though with that which they true resident experts, Hosting.  Thank You, JR