Anti-Semitic Airbnb announced yesterday that it is removing hundreds of homes in Jewish communities in Judea/Samaria from Airbnb’s listing service. This is blatant, outrageous discrimination and antisemitism, violates numerous state and local non-discrimination and anti-boycott laws, and violates Airbnb’s own purported anti-discrimination policies – which Airbnb touts all over its website.
The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) urges all decent people to stop using Airbnb’s services until Airbnb ends this Jew-hating, antisemitic policy. Let’s stand up for our brothers and sisters in the Jewish homeland as long as Airbnb continues to hold up a virtual “no Jews allowed” sign!
Airbnb’s website claims “Discrimination has no place on our platform.” Apparently, discrimination does now have a place on Airbnb’s platform – if you are Jewish and live in a Jewish community in the Jewish homeland.
The prominent former Ambassador to the United States, and current Israeli Deputy Minister Dr. Michael Oren tweeted: “Airbnb blacklists Jewish apartments in Judea and Samaria— not Palestinian apartments, not apartments in Turkish occupied Cyprus, in Moroccan occupied Sahara, not in Tibet or the Crimea. Airbnb’s policy is the very definition of anti-Semitism. No one should use its services.”
Likewise, Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin called Airbnb’s decision “discriminatory”; and Social Equality Minister Gila Gamliel pointed out Airbnb’s hypocrisy, explaining the company “operates in the darkest dictatorships in the world and preaches morality to us.”
Airbnb hypocritically claims that it is delisting the Israeli homes because Airbnb has adopted a new “Disputed Regions” policy. However, none of the numerous “disputed regions” in the world (Cyprus, Tibet, Taiwan, Crimea, Western Sahara and dozens more) are affected by Airbnb’s policy. (See Wikipedia’s long list of disputed territories.) Airbnb is solely singling out the Jewish communities, homes and people in Judea/Samaria for this discriminatory, antisemitic treatment.
Moreover, Airbnb is not delisting Palestinian-Arab homes in Judea/Samaria under Airbnb’s supposed new “disputed regions” policy – only homes in Jewish communities there. Airbnb’s action is thus, clear anti-Jewish discrimination and Jew-hatred.
Prominent International law expert Professor Eugene Kontorovich explained that Airbnb is engaging in antisemitism, singling out Israel while allowing properties to be listed in disputed areas of the world, such as northern Cyprus, Nagorno-Karabakh and the western Sahara, and stated: “Airbnb’s approach of singling out Jews from all the disputes in the world will put it at odds with U.S. state BDS laws and principles of discrimination.” (NBC News report.)
Further, Airbnb ignores that Israel has the historical, religious, political and international legal right to Judea/Samaria.
Airbnb also claims that it “consult[ed] with a range of experts and our community of stakeholders” prior to taking this Jew-hating discriminatory action. However, Airbnb never consulted with ZOA or Professor Kontorovich or with any other legitimate pro-Israel organization or expert whom we are aware of.
Instead, Airbnb appears to have simply consulted with some of the worst anti-Israel falsehood-purveying organizations. For instance, the anti-Zionist Soros-funded, anti-Israel misleadingly-named “Human Rights Watch” (“HRW” – which repeatedly defames Israel instead of appropriately dealing with real human rights violators) revealed in a tweet yesterday that HRW has spent the past two years bamboozling Airbnb into taking this discriminatory action against hundreds of Jewish people.
As Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan explained, Airbnb’s discriminatory move was “submission to the anti-Semitic BDS organizations.”
Airbnb needs to hear from all of us now!
ZOA contacted Airbnb and is contacting legislators and other government officials to take action regarding Airbnb’s blatant antisemitic discriminatory boycott of Jewish homes. We will update you on progress of these efforts.
We also urge all our friends to boycott Airbnb’s services and to call, tweet and write to Airbnb to demand that Airbnb rescind its antisemitic discriminatory new policy. Please spread the word, and let us know Airbnb’s response by emailing [email protected]. Here is Airbnb contact information:
Airbnb’s phone numbers: +1-415-800-5959 and (Toll-free) +1-855-424-7262
Website to Request a call from Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us/call_me
Airbnb Twitter: https://twitter.com/Airbnb?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
Written messages to Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/help/contact_us/message
Or to the Airbnb CEO: [email protected]
Suggested text for calls or messages (or use your own words):
“Airbnb’s announcement that it will be delisting Jewish homes in Judea/Samaria Israel is outrageous, unlawful discrimination and antisemitism. I urge you to immediately rescind this hateful Jew-hating policy. I and my friends and family will no longer use your services until this Jew-hatred ends and a strong apology is made publicly.”