Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center (FSWC) commends Airbnb for reversing its previous decision to remove listings in West Bank’s Jewish communities.

In a statement released today, Airbnb said the move is part of the settlement terms reached following lawsuits from hosts, potential hosts and guests who objected to the previous policy that was announced in November.

In addition to allowing West Bank listings, Airbnb announced that all profit generated for the company from these listings will go toward “non-profit organizations dedicated to humanitarian aid that serve people in different parts of the world.”

“This is another example of a company jumping on the BDS bandwagon without first considering the implications of such actions and how such a decision feeds into the discriminatory movement,” said FSWC President and CEO Avi Benlolo. “While the removal of the listings should not have been considered, we appreciate that Airbnb took people’s concerns seriously and have not only reversed their previous decision, but also chosen to make a positive difference by donating profits from listings in the West Bank.”

In its statement, Airbnb said, “Airbnb has always opposed the BDS movement. Airbnb has never boycotted Israel, Israeli businesses, or the more than 20,000 Israeli hosts who are active on the Airbnb platform. We have always sought to bring people together and will continue to work with our community to achieve this goal.”

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Media Contact:‍

Avital Borisovsky
Communications Associate
416.864.9735 x 29
aborisovsky@fswc.ca