Airbnb Faces Continued Backlash Over Refusal To Host Properties Located In Israeli Sectors Of West Bank

doitvoluntarily (77)in #airbnb • 5 years ago

Airbnb recently decided that they were going to refuse to host listings of properties that were located in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. Their move is being criticized as being an anti-Semitic boycott, which the Israeli government is now reportedly looking to overturn.

Supporters of the move say that the company is well within its rights to limit which properties it might accept for hosting, they also suggest that the company is demonstrating leadership towards human rights responsibilities that are associated with conflict in the region.

It's reported that approx 200 listings will be removed from the site that would be located in the area and this would also be the first time that the company had removed listings that were located in disputed territories.

There are still other rental options available in Israel but that might soon change as the push for a boycott in response to the recent move from Airbnb possibly continues to grow.

Other Israeli officials are now reportedly looking for ways to limit Airbnb operations in the country and they've responded to the move by labeling it as shameful.

A class-action lawsuit has also now reportedly been filed and it's seeking thousands of dollars in damages for any host who might have been impacted by the recent decision. Various lawmakers are also debating over whether or not the move was legal.

American lawmakers have also responded to the incident by demanding that Airbnb reverse its decision.

The city council of Beverly Hills for example was quick to pass a recent resolution that suggested the move by Airbnb was fueled by prejudice, hate, ignorance, and hypocrisy and the council concluded that as a result the company wasn't welcome in their district.

It doesn't look like the company is about to reverse their decision though. If anything, Airbnb has previously suggested that this might be a new stop toward an evolved policy that will continue to include a refusal to list properties that are located in occupied territories.

It's a bit unrealistic to paint the move by Airbnb to limit approx 200 listings from their site as some sort of anti-Semitic boycott, when they are still going to allow thousands of listings to remain that are properties located in Israel or owned by Jewish people.

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