The Internet portal Airbnb does not want to in the future convey more properties in settlers homes in the West Bank. After an internal Review Airbnb had decided “that we should remove the offers in the Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, the core of the dispute between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” said the US-based company. The decision affects 200 properties in Israeli settlements, which were listed on the platform.
“Many in the international community have stressed that companies should not be here, because you are convinced that you should not make any gains in areas from which people have been displaced,” it said in the message of the Untenrehmens. It was a controversial issue, and Airbnb knows “that people with this decision, will not agree”.
the Director of The Human rights organization Human Rights Watch to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Omar Schakir, called the decision by Airbnb to a “welcome step”. “Companies such as Booking.com should the consequences,” he tweeted.
the high-ranking Palestinian representatives Sajeb Erakat welcomed the decision of the Internet platform “first positive step”. It was “important” for Airbnb, to follow the international law view that Israel is the “occupying power” and Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the occupied East Jerusalem “are illegal and constitute war crimes”.
The Palestinians had threatened to 2016, legal action against Airbnb to proceed, because the company will present apartments in the occupied territories as being in Israel. The company subsequently announced, to consider the objections.
Israel wants to restrict the activities of Airbnb
criticism of the decision of Airbnb came from the Israeli side. Israel’s tourism Minister Yariv Levin criticized the step of Airbnb as a “shameful and unfortunate”. His Ministry will prepare measures to ensure the activities of Airbnb in Israel, to restrict, he explained. As a counter-measure, he wanted to revive a program for short-term rentals in the settlements. The Minister for internal security, Gilad Erdan, called on settlers to “pull lawsuits against Airbnb in recital”.
Israel occupied during the six-day war in 1967, including East Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Palestinians demanded the territories for their own state of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
In the Jewish settlements in the West Bank, approximately 400,000 Israelis live, with the addition of a further 200,000 in Israeli-occupied East Jerusalem. The UN security Council had demanded of 2016, a full settlement freeze from Israel. Settlements were referred to as a violation of international law and as a large obstacle to peace in the middle East.
