Villas with swimming pools, hotel rooms, apartments… According to a count carried out by “The Guardian”, more than 700 rental offers are located on land seized from Palestinians. A tourist boom that an Israeli NGO contacted by franceinfo deplores.
Translated from French by PAJU
“Amazing, bright and airy villa in a quiet neighborhood on the edge of the Judean Desert. Every window reflects an incredible view,” describes one host on Airbnb. The house, which sleeps 12 (for $490 a night), is located in Tekoa, an Israeli settlement south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. The listing does not specify that such construction is illegal under international law.
According to a major analysis conducted by The Guardian, the sites Arbnb and Booking together count 760 rental offers on land seized from Palestinians. While in Gaza the truce agreement between Israel and Hamas is faltering, but in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, hoteliers and individuals are offering rooms, apartments or sometimes luxurious houses for a total capacity of 2,000 people, the British daily reports.
Tourism to legitimize colonization
The rental of tourist properties in Israeli settlements is not a new phenomenon but it is becoming increasingly widespread, Yonadan Mizrachi, co-director of the Israeli NGO Peace Now, which specializes in monitoring colonization, told franceinfo. “The settlers do a lot of things to promote tourism, it’s a way of legitimizing the [settlement] project in general.” A tourist activity supported politically and financially by the Israeli authorities. Emphasizing the preservation of archaeological sites, they preempt land belonging to Palestinians, as the NGO reports.
“That’s why Tekoa is interesting,” Mizrachi continues, “because it’s located near the site of Herodion [an ancient Palestinian fortress], in which Israel invested tens of millions of shekels, just before the Gaza war, to attract more tourists. And they have plenty of places like that.” Founded in the late 1970s, Tekoa has expanded over the decades: today, there are about ten settlements and outposts. Palestinians are not allowed to enter without a permit, except in exceptional circumstances. According to The Guardian, Airbnb currently lists 17 listings in Tekoa.
Airbnb claims it makes no profit
In 2018, Airbnb found itself at the center of a controversy regarding its rentals in the occupied West Bank. The company decided to delist listings located in illegal settlements, emphasizing that they were “at the heart of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.” It ultimately reversed course the following year by republishing nearly 200 vacation rental listings in the occupied West Bank. Airbnb thus put an end to lawsuits filed by several owners who felt discriminated against, before Israeli and American courts.
However, several NGOs believe that by promoting these rentals, the company normalizes and encourages the expansion of illegal settlements. It is included on the list of companies complicit in the violation of Palestinian rights established by the international Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Just like the agencies Booking.com and Expedia
Proche-Orient : le business d’Airbnb et Booking dans les colonies israéliennes illégales
See Al- Haq Video : https://www.alhaq.org/FAI-Unit/25389.html
