Airbnb is the latest tech-oriented firm to take a stand on a hot-button issue. The company behind the short-term rental accommodation app has banned the listing of Israeli properties in the West Bank, citing it as occupied Palestinian territory, and the listings as being on “stolen” land.
There are many cases of companies turning activists, whether it be Woolworths and Coles ending free plastic bags, and Qantas and other firms’ explicit support for same-sex marriage. Like-minded consumers will reward firms that do take a stand, and while Airbnb will have many supporters of this action in the US, entering the murky world of Middle-Eastern politics takes things to a different level.
Airbnb’s decision to delist about 200 properties reportedly follows years of lobbying by a diverse range of organisations. And it’s not just Palestinian groups with this concern. There are those who support the state of Israel yet oppose its occupation/annexation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, after the Six-Day War in 1967. However, Airbnb has stirred up a hornets’ nest, attracting a push-back by the Israeli government, local media, some social media outrage, and legal action.
Read the article by Chris Griffith in The Australian.