Airbnb to remove listings in Israeli settlements

The Airbnb home-renting company announces that it will remove its listings located in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.

The corporation says in a press release that it had completed a reexamination of its policy, which had previously allowed such listings since “people-to-people travel has considerable value and we want to help bring people.”

However, after consulting with various authorities, the company decides to drop roughly 200 listings in the settlements.

“We concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians,” Airbnb says.

The statement does not specify when the decision will go into effect, or whether Israeli homes in the annexed East Jerusalem will also be dropped from Airbnb’s listings.

— Jacob Magid