Vacation rental company Airbnb said Monday it was removing listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank because these areas are “at the core of the dispute between the Israelis and Palestinians."
Airbnb said that although it had been operating in accordance with US law, it long wrestled with the question of whether to do business in Israeli settlements, which most of the international community views as illegal.
Palestinians and human rights groups have long urged the company to remove the listings.
“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,” Airbnb added.
An Airbnb spokesman said the decision, affecting some 200 listings, would take effect in the days ahead.
Israeli officials condemned the decision.
Some 500,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, areas that are also home to more than 2.6 million Palestinians.
