In Reversal, Airbnb to Keep West Bank Homes Listed

Airbnb announced on Tuesday it had reversed plans to remove West Bank Jewish-owned homes from its rental listings in order to settle all legal actions brought by hosts. “We will continue to allow listings throughout all of the West Bank, but Airbnb will take no profits from this activity in the region,” it said in a press release, adding that the profits would be donated to humanitarian assistance groups around the world. Israeli lawyers filed a class-action suit in November against the home-sharing platform immediately following its announcement that it planned to remove Jewish residences in the West Bank from its rental listings. The suit sought NIS 15,000 ($4,200) in damages for the lead plaintiff, as well as damages for other hosts. If implemented, the delisting would have affected roughly 200 Israeli homes in the West Bank. The international community considers the presence of Jewish communities in the West Bank a breach of international law and a barrier to peace between Israelis and Palestinians.