Airbnb and Booking.com under fire over Israeli settlements

PARIS

A French human rights group on Oct. 16 filed a legal complaint against Airbnb and Booking.com, accusing them of promoting "occupation tourism" by listing accommodation in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.

In the case submitted in Paris, the Ligue des droits de l'Homme alleges that the platforms were complicit in the aggravated concealment of war crimes.

"These multinational companies, by offering their services and provisions, enable and facilitate, both directly and indirectly, the creation... and the expansion of Israeli settlements," said the group's lawyer, Patrick Baudouin.

The settlements, which have expanded since Israel occupied the West Bank in 1967, are considered illegal under international law.

More than 500,000 settlers are living in the Palestinian territory, excluding Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Some three million Palestinians live in the territory.

Airbnb does not specify that the properties offered for rent are located in Palestinian territory. Instead, it only names the settlement, without indicating that it is one.

Booking.com mentions that the accommodation is in Israeli settlements and is "in Palestine."

The U.N. on Sept. 26 said it had identified 158 firms from 11 countries linked to activities in Israeli settlements, including Airbnb and Booking.com.

On June 30, the U.N. special rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, condemned major travel platforms that promote tourism which "legitimises annexation."

In February this year, British newspaper The Guardian reported having identified 402 listings for apartments, hotels and houses, in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Some 350 were on Airbnb and 52 on Booking.com, totalling 760 rooms able to accommodate more than 2,000 people.