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Article

19 Feb 2019

Author:
Amnesty International

Destination: Occupation, digital tourism & Israel's illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

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Airbnb, Inc..., Booking.com... Expedia..., and TripAdvisor... list numerous hotels, B&Bs, attractions or tours in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). They are doing so despite knowing that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is governed by international humanitarian law under which Israeli settlements are deemed illegal. In addition, key acts required for the establishment of settlements, such as the transfer of Israel’s population into occupied territory and the appropriation of property without military justification, amount to war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court... All four companies claim to operate under high ethical values and respect for the rule of law... . In doing business with settlements, all four companies are contributing to, and profiting from, the maintenance, development and expansion of illegal settlements, which amount to war crimes under international criminal law. They are also contributing to violations of human rights law and acting in direct contradiction with their own corporate standards.

... To comply with their responsibilities to uphold international humanitarian law and respect human rights, Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdvisor must stop listing tourist accommodation, activities and attractions in settlements or run by settlers in the OPT, including East Jerusalem... Airbnb’s announcement that it will stop listing in settlements in the West Bank (excluding East Jerusalem) is welcome, but only a first step. The company must implement this announcement, it must reflect its commitment in a revised public policy, and it must redress the harm it has contributed to.

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