Airbnb hit with human rights lawsuit over Israeli settlement listings

Airbnb’s (NASDAQ:ABNB) UK and Irish subsidiaries along with the U.S. parent company are the subject of a multi-jurisdictional legal action by a coalition of human rights groups accusing the company of listing properties for rent in what the complaint alleges is “illegal Israeli settlements,” and subsequently laundering the proceeds from “Israeli war crimes.”

The criminal complaints in the UK, Ireland, and U.S. were filed by the Global Legal Action Network (“GLAN”), Sadaka Ireland, and Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq targeting Airbnb’s listings in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (“OPT”).

According to GLAN, in 2018 Airbnb (NASDAQ:ABNB) promised to “act responsibly” and remove listings in Palestinian settlements currently occupied by Israel but subsequently reversed this decision and continues to list over 300 accommodations listed for rent.

“Following the finding by the International Court of Justice, that Israel’s occupation is illegal, business activities trading in goods and services that maintain the illegal occupation, must come to an end –– i.e., those located in the OPT, including the settlements, and in Israel,” General Director of Al-Haq Shawan Jabarin said in the complaint.

A prior complaint against Airbnb’s (NASDAQ:ABNB) Irish subsidiary by GLAN was subsequently dismissed by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau – a special unit within Ireland’s national police force — stating that the complaint disclosed no offense within the jurisdiction of Ireland. In response, Sadaka filed a judicial review proceeding in the High Court on May 9, claiming Garda made an error in law and acted irrationally in reaching this decision.

In the UK, the charges include money laundering as it is an “offense to handle money or other property derived from criminal acts,” which in this case is defined as the displacement and transfer of civilian population onto occupied territory.

A preservation letter was delivered to Airbnb’s (ABNB) parent company in the U.S, instructing it to preserve documents related to the company’s involvement in the settlements.

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