The Beverly Hills City Council called for a boycott of Airbnb after the organization announced that they would no longer be providing listings to Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.
In a unanimously passed resolution on Nov. 21, the city council denounced Airbnb’s decision as an example of “hatred, prejudice, ignorance and hypocrisy” and “antithetical to the values that we hold dear in Beverly Hills.”
“The City of Beverly Hills hereby calls upon Airbnb to correct this act of disrespect to the land of Israel and restore its original services immediately,” the resolution states. “In the event that Airbnb does not stop, we call upon all civilized people across the globe to boycott Airbnb until such time as they desist from these despicable anti-Semitic actions.”
Beverly Hills Vice Mayor John Mirisch said in a statement, “Airbnb is not welcome in Beverly Hills as long as its policies are based on anti-Jewish double standards.”
“Jew hatred is a disease,” Mirisch said. “We can try to inoculate others against this malady but we also must protect ourselves against its effects.”
In a statement, Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold called Airbnb’s decision “deplorable.”
“On behalf of our residents, this unanimous resolution reflects the City Council’s ongoing commitment to Israel and to exposing hatred anywhere it exists,” Gold said.
Airbnb announced on Nov. 19 that they would be removing their listings from Judea and Samaria after consulting with myriad legal experts.
“There are many strong views as it relates to lands that have been the subject of historic and intense disputes between Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank,” Airbnb said in a statement. “Airbnb has deep respect for those views. Our hope is that someday sooner rather than later, a framework is put in place where the entire global community is aligned so there will be a resolution to this historic conflict and a clear path forward for everybody to follow.”
Anti-Defamation League (ADL) CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote in a Nov. 21 letter to the Airbnb that the ADL was “dismayed” at their decision.
“With this decision, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement and its supporters will be further emboldened and view it as a victory for their hateful campaign against Israel,” Greenblatt wrote.
Some pro-Israel activists, such as Adam Milstein, have suggested that Airbnb users switch to other sites like Booking.com instead, which has said that they will not implement Airbnb’s policy.
