Company announces it does not support BDS and will reverse prior decision on Jewish West Bank home ban; Airbnb: We will not move forward with implementing the removal of listings in the West Bank from the platform.
Airbnb announced a reversal on delisting properties of Jews in the West Bank after numerous lawsuits from Israelis and customers who protested the move. The announcement is the most recent failure for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS).
The company confirmed on Tuesday, “Airbnb is announcing that we have settled all lawsuits that were brought by hosts and potential hosts and guests who objected to a policy the company recently announced concerning listings in disputed areas… Airbnb will not move forward with implementing the removal of listings in the West Bank from the platform.”
Towards the end of 2018, the company announced it would delist “settler” homes, those of Jewish residents in Judea and Samaria, and that any and all proceeds coming from the West Bank would be donated to humanitarian organizations in the region. Lawsuits and protests followed, as well as official condemnation from the Israeli government. Following months of legal proceedings, the company announced it would not delist properties, claiming it has “always been opposed to BDS“ and that “Airbnb has never boycotted Israel, Israeli businesses, or the more than 20,000 Israeli hosts who are active on the Airbnb platform. We have always sought to bring people together and will continue to work with our community to achieve this goal.”
It did again, however, announce that any profits from the West Bank would be donated to “non-profit organizations dedicated to humanitarian aid that serve people in different parts of the world,” as well as similar efforts in South Ossetia and Abkhazia.
Photo: Tero Vesalainen/Shutterstock.com
