Is Airbnb dropping West Bank settlements or not?
The vacation company and the Israeli government issue contradictory statements after a meeting in Jerusalem on Monday.
The controversy surrounding Airbnb's decision to drop West Bank settlement listings continued Monday, with both Israeli officials and the company itself making contradictory claims about the move.
Tourism Minister Yariv Levin announced Monday night after meeting with a senior Airbnb delegation in Jerusalem that the company has decided not to implement the decision announced last month. But a short time later, Airbnb said claims that it was suspending its settlement embargo were inaccurate.
Levin, meanwhile, hailed the Airbnb decision to drop the ban on settlement listings as "an important step in the right direction."
Referring to the West Bank by its biblical name, Levin added that he would continue "to act to ensure that all Israeli citizens receive equal treatment and strengthen tourism in Israel, including in Judea and Samaria."
Israel responded with fury to Airbnb's announcement last month, which cited the "occupied West Bank" in its rationale for banning settlement listings.
"We reached the conclusion that we should remove apartments that are registered in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, which lies at the heart of the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians," the company said in a statement posted on its website last month. It did not say when the decision, which would lead to the removal of about 200 apartments, would take place.
Following Airbnb's announcement, Levin instructed his ministry to put together immediate measures to limit the company's operations throughout the country, and to implement a special plan to encourage tourism and accommodation in vacation apartments in the West Bank.
Levin urged Airbnb to cancel the ban, calling it "a disgraceful and miserable decision, and a disgraceful surrender by the company."
While the San Francisco-based company says it is developing the tools needed to implement its policy while it continues to talk with stakeholders, it also claims to unequivocally reject the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and has communicated its commitment to develop its business in Israel. Airbnb also pledged to continue its dialogue with the Israeli government.
"There are conflicting opinions about whether companies should do business in the occupied territories that are the focus of the historic conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians, and many in the international community believe that companies should not do business there because they believe that companies should not make a profit off of land from which the owners were uprooted. Others believe that companies should not withdraw from business activity in these areas," the company said.
"We are certainly not the experts when it comes to historic conflicts in this region," the company continued. "Our team is struggling with this dilemma and we have been working hard to reach the right approach 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," read the statement.
