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Airbnb has decided to withdraw housing offers in Israeli settlements from its site. John MACDOUGALL / AFP
Airbnb will remove housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank from its reservation platform. The hotel rental website lists so far rooms or apartments in these communities located in the Palestinian territories, illegal under international law. But the American society has announced a change in its policy hailed by the Palestinians but denounced by the Israeli government that threatens retaliatory measures.
" Israeli settlements in the West Bank are at the heart of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians, " said Airbnb in a statement. It is for this reason, explains the company, that it has decided to withdraw from its booking platform the 200 dwellings that are there, even if it knows that " people will disagree with this decision ".
The announcement was actually sharply criticized by the Israeli side. The council of Yesha, the main settler organization, now calls Airbnb a " political site ", accusing it of " anti-Semitism or surrender to terrorism ." The Minister of Tourism has asked his administration to make proposals to limit the services of society in Israel and he wants to set up a program to support tourism in the colonies.
On the Palestinian side, the main negotiator hailed a " positive first step " after a " nearly three years " battle. Saeb Erekat calls on the UN Human Rights Council to publish a list of companies that profit from the Israeli occupation.
Positive reaction also from the human rights organization Human Rights Watch which estimates, in a report published Tuesday, that these rentals help to make the settlements economically viable. The NGO asks the Booking site to follow Airbnb's lead. According to her, the site listed 26 properties in the settlements last July.