Haaretz: Airbnb and West Bank Settlements

Most of the world has condemned the Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank for complicating peace negotiations with the Palestinians. Airbnb is removing rental listings of West Bank Jewish settlements, reports Haaretz, and Israel has countered by restricting the company’s operations nationwide, calling the removal “discriminatory.” The decision affects about 200 listings. Israel also encourages affected property managers to sue Airbnb or file complaints with states that prohibit boycotts against the Israeli settlements. Palestinians, maintaining that the settlements violate international law, suggest that Airbnb should also exclude East Jerusalem. The American Civil Liberties Union maintains that the US Constitution and the First Amendment protects such boycotts. Airbnb issued a statement explaining its policies, expressing desire for durable and lasting peace: “As a global platform operating in 191 countries and regions and more than 81,000 cities, we must consider the impact we have and act responsibly. Accordingly, we have developed a framework for evaluating how we should treat listings in occupied territories.” – YaleGlobal