Airbnb is disputing reports that they are suspending their policy of de-listing Israeli homes in Judea and Samaria.
Various Israeli media outlets had reported that, according to the Israeli tourism ministry, Airbnb was suspending their ban after meeting with Tourism Minister Yariv Levin on Monday. The company sent a statement to the Journal that read, “The reports issued earlier today are inaccurate.”
“Airbnb expressed its unequivocal rejection of the BDS [Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions] movement and communicated its commitment to develop its business in Israel, enabling more tourists from around the world to enjoy the wonders of the country and its people,” the statement read. “We are here to meet with a variety of stakeholders and as a result of our meetings have an even deeper understanding that this is an incredibly complex and emotional issue. Airbnb communicated that we are developing the tools needed to implement our policy and that process includes continuing our dialogue with the Government of Israel and other stakeholders.”
Haaretz reporter Noa Landau tweeted that she had received a statement from Airbnb in Hebrew saying that they would not be implementing their policy:
For all those interested: Here‘s @Airbnb’s Hebrew announcement vs. the English one (“the policy will not be implemented” vs. “this is an incredibly complex & emotional issue”. I emailed their VP asking about the difference. Did not receive a straight answer yet pic.twitter.com/w6ErWCe3FP
— Noa Landau נעה לנדאו (@noa_landau) December 17, 2018
An Airbnb spokesperson told the Journal that the Hebrew statement “was released in error” and that the English one was the “correct statement.”
Roz Rothstein, CEO and co-founder of StandWithUs, said in a statement, “If Airbnb has reversed their position totally, it will be a recognition that boycotts are discriminatory and anti-peace. It will serve as a red line for companies and they will learn not to believe the vitriolic and misleading rhetoric from BDS lobby groups.”
“Boycotts against Jewish communities are an age-old Antisemitic tool and there was growing criticism by state legislatures, elected officials and by Airbnb customers around the world,” Rothstein added. “Once Airbnb made their egregious announcement singling out Israel for boycott, StandWithUs set up a system that enabled nearly 10,000 people to write letters to the company expressing their outrage.”
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach told the Journal in a phone interview that he was confident that Airbnb will eventually “reverse its discriminatory decision.”
“We will not let up on pressure until they do so,” Boteach said. “They cannot both condemn BDS and engage in it at the same time. The time for discrimination against Jews and Israel is at an end.”
Boteach had put an ad into The Washington Post a week earlier calling Airbnb’s policy anti-Semitic:
