Pro-Palestinian group seeks ban on Israeli real estate fair in Paris
Activists seek to halt event in French capital over alleged marketing of West Bank and East Jerusalem properties and incentives for settlers, following protests in other cities
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
Pro-Palestinian activists have asked a French court to ban an Israeli real estate fair in Paris, which they say offers a bonus to prospective Jewish settlers in the West Bank, sources told AFP on Thursday.
The Franco-Palestinian NIDAL association filed an emergency motion with a court against the 9th Icube real estate and investment salon, arguing that the fair violates human rights.
The event is set to take place on Sunday at the European Centre for Judaism in the French capital.
Other major cities have seen similar uproars over Israeli real estate fairs accused of marketing houses in the West Bank. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the 2026 edition of the Great Israeli Real Estate Event in Manhattan for that reason.
NIDAL asked the court to either order the head of the Paris police force to ban the event outright or to ensure that the event does not sell property in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal by much of the international community. Israel disputes that determination.
East Jerusalem is considered a disputed territory under international law, and dozens of countries have recognized it as Palestinian territory and the capital of a future state. However, its status is different than the rest of the West Bank, as Israel formally annexed the area in 1980, 13 years after capturing the territory during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Many of the dozens of Jewish enclaves in East Jerusalem are, in practice, fully integrated neighborhoods of the city.
Before taking legal action, the group said it had sent a letter to the Paris police on November 5, which went unanswered.
In the filing, seen by AFP, the rights group argues that marketing properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem contributes to the replacement of the Palestinian people through population transfer — a practice prohibited by international law and classified as a war crime under the French penal code.
In particular, the activists highlighted the presence of BH Nadlan, a company that markets apartments in both East Jerusalem and the West Bank on its website.
They also pointed to the fair’s official guide’s offer of a “significant” financial “bonus” for newcomers settling in “Judea and Samaria,” the biblical names for the West Bank.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.