The West Hollywood City Council tabled a proposed resolution condemning Airbnb for de-listing Israeli homes in Judea and Samaria after public commenters spoke out against the resolution.
In a Dec. 12 memo to the city council, City Council Members Lindsey Horvath and Lauren Meister argued that Airbnb was singling out Israel, yet they aren’t withdrawing from other disputed territories such as Northern Cyprus.
But at the Dec. 17 city council meeting, Horvath announced that the resolution was being tabled.
“We received correspondence from representatives from Airbnb that indicated their opposition to the BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement and their intent behind what this policy was and what their changes are,” Horvath said. “I think therefore their clarification requires consideration before we take any sort of action.”
Before Horvath’s announcement, several people criticized the resolution during the public comments section, including Jewish Voice for Peace – Los Angeles founder Estee Chandler.
“I find the resolution to admonish Airbnb to be completely counter from the history of West Hollywood, known to be supporting equality,” Chandler said. “But in the last week, it seems that some members from the West Hollywood City Council have sent out a message loud and clear that they believe for equality except for Palestinians.”
Chandler argued that it was “interesting” that the city council never admonished Saudi Arabian Prince Mohammed bin Salman despite requests to do so yet they’re condemning Airbnb for “being compliant with international law.”
Horvath told the Journal in an email that she and Meister decided to table the resolution because Airbnb’s “stated opposition to BDS was news to us, and suggests their policy may continue to evolve, which is worth considering before taking any further action.” The resolution was still on the agenda because they wanted to hear what the people thought of it.
Roz Rothstein, CEO and co-founder of StandWithUs, told the Journal in an emailed statement, “Airbnb’s discrimination deserves widespread condemnation, so we appreciate the WeHo City Council for bringing this legislation forward. We understand that they need to table the resolution until there is full clarity about whether or not Airbnb will be implementing its shameful decision.”
“Airbnb has created confusion by releasing contradictory statements about the status of this issue, but what is clear is that they should be held accountable unless they fully rescind their discriminatory policy,” Rothstein added.
On Monday, it was reported in Israeli media that Airbnb was canceling its Judea and Samaria policy; Airbnb later stated that such reports were “inaccurate.”
