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<h1 class="article-title">Airbnb Presence Affirned in Illegal West
Bank Settlements - <i>(they are based in SF)</i><br>
</h1>
<div class="article-subtitledetails">
<span class="article-details">
<span class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part1.09030205.05070902@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> Sunday January 10, 2016 23:10</span><br>
<b><small><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.imemc.org/article/74517">http://www.imemc.org/article/74517</a></small></small></small></b></span></div>
<blockquote class="article-intro">*Airbnb is enabling anyone to rent
rooms and vacation homes in <a
href="http://www.imemc.org/newswire?topic=israelisettlement"
target="_blank">illegal Israeli settlements</a> in the occupied
West Bank.</blockquote>
<p class="photo"> <a name="attachment51692"></a> <img
class="summary-image"
src="cid:part4.04070209.07090600@freedomarchives.org"
alt="Screenshot of an Airbnb listing in the illegal settlement
of Anatot in the occupied West Bank." title="Click on image to
see full-sized version" height="242" width="405"><br>
Screenshot of an Airbnb listing in the illegal settlement of
Anatot in the occupied West Bank.<br>
</p>
According to an article published by +972 Magazine, last week, the
list of places to rent, some of them even luxurious cottages, make
no mention of the fact that they are in illegal settlements on
occupied Palestinian land.<br>
<br>
Almost all on the list claim to be in “Israel” – despite the fact
that they are in the occupied West Bank.<br>
<br>
“Exploring the Airbnb website turns up dozens of cheap rooms and
homes with pastoral views and many just a short drive from Jerusalem
– all pretty enticing. Especially if nobody tells you that you’re
paying to be a settler for a few days” – +972 M. reported.<br>
<br>
Tekoa, Ma’ale Adumim, Nofei Prat, and Kfar Eldad — Airbnb gives its
users the opportunity to rent a room in West Bank settlements.<br>
<br>
The Magazine made a test, according to the PNN: they created a fake
profile of an American citizen of Palestinian descent who want to
come to visti and :enjoy the quieter and cheaper option of staying
in an Israeli settlement” and started making reservations at dozens
of listings and contacting dozens of Airbnb hosts – settlers.<br>
<br>
The result: they only received one positive answer back, while all
of the others stated that due to the political situation it wouldn’t
be possible, or even did not replied them.<br>
<br>
“Someone making a reservation on Airbnb has no way of knowing that
the outpost was — at least partially — illegally built on
Palestinian land. There is no mention of the fact that more than one
resident of Havat Gilad have been convicted of violent “price tag”
attacks against Palestinians and their property”, +972 M. stated.<br>
<br>
The major problem for people that are not familiar with the
Palestine situation, is that Airbnb’s website does not differentiate
between rooms in Palestinian cities towns and those in Israeli
settlements — its maps of the occupied West Bank display no
differentiation between areas under Israeli control, and those under
Palestinian control.<br>
<br>
By charging for listings in illegal settlements in the occupied West
Bank, Airbnb enables Israelis and foreigners alike to financially
support the settlement economy and even profits itself off the theft
of private Palestinian land.<br>
<br>
+972 Magazine tried to contact Airbnb in California, but it didn’t
receive any answer. When they contacted them with their fake
profile, the company immediately answered saying that they were very
upset with the situation.<br>
<br>
<i>*Airbnb was founded in August of 2008 and is based in San
Francisco, California. In their website they are describe as: “A
is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover,
and book unique accommodations around the world — online or from a
mobile phone or tablet.<br>
<br>
Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa
for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences,
at any price point, in more than 34,000 cities and 190 countries.
And with world-class customer service and a growing community of
users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their
extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions”.</i>
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