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20 Nov, 2018

Airbnb to remove all vacation rental listings in illegal Israeli settlements

Announcement from Jewish Voice for Peace, 20 November 2018

HUGE, BREAKING NEWS. Airbnb just announced it’s removing all vacation rental listings on its site that are in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank!!!

Two years ago we helped kick-start a deluge of public criticism on Airbnb for allowing settlers to profit off Palestinian’s stolen land, and dozens of groups in the #StolenHomes coalition helped pile on pressure

Today Airbnb agreed that vacation rentals in illegal settlements contribute to existing human suffering, and they’re kicking them off their platform!

This is huge news on its own, but it also dramatically ramps up pressure on Airbnb’s number one competitor, Booking.com.

Earlier this year they literally erased Palestinian East Jerusalem off their maps, when they started describing all of Jerusalem as a “city in Israel.”

Let’s demand Booking.com follow Airbnb and tell the truth: East Jerusalem is occupied territory. 

ADD YOUR NAME: Tell Booking.com to Tell the Truth.

Today we helped Palestinians win a crucial battle against the concerted cultural campaign to erase their connection to their homeland.

Already the Israeli government is flipping out — the Minister for Tourism just called for restrictions on Airbnb’s operations across the country, and suggesting settler hosts sue.

So let’s savor this victory and use it as fuel to win many many more.

Thanks for all you do,

Granate Kim
Communications Director