#deactivateAirbnb on May 15, Nakba Day
The Canadian BDS Coalition joins the call from the Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) & other organizations in Palestine and internationally.
After initially committing to stop listing rentals in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, Airbnb did a complete reversal, and will now continue to allow rentals on stolen Palestinian land.
Send a clear message to Airbnb by signing a pledge to deactivate your Airbnb account on May 15, Nakba Day – a day that commemorates Israel’s establishment through the ethnic cleansing of 80% of all indigenous Palestinians from their homes and lands 71 years ago. Airbnb is enabling an ongoing Nakba – Israel’s continued and systematic dispossession of the Palestinian people.
There’s no neutrality in situations of injustice. Airbnb cannot simply donate away dirty profits, as they’ve said they will, and keep their hands clean of illegal occupation, knowing they contribute to inequality, land theft and racial discrimination.
We are part of an international coalition of groups holding Airbnb accountable.
Join us. Take the pledge to #deactivateAirbnb.
The Canadian Airbnb HQ is part of MaRS Discovery District, the flagship innovation hub for business, government, and community.
Actions
Let know that you expect better from MaRs.
In Canada, Just Peace Advocates has sent the following message to MaRs. We await a reply.
May 12, 2019
Yung Wu, CEO MaRs Discovery District
Dear Mr. Wu
We understand that Airbnb has its Canada HQ/office in the MaRs building and is also a partner with MaRS.
After initially committing to stop listing rentals in Israel’s illegal settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, Airbnb did a complete reversal, and will now continue to allow rentals on stolen Palestinian land. We urge you to take immediate action to end this partnership, and avoid further embarrassment of being in partnership with an organization known for supporting ongoing settler-colonialism and aiding & abetting war crimes.
There’s no neutrality in situations of injustice. Airbnb cannot simply donate profits they know are contributing to inequality, land theft and discrimination to keep their hands clean of illegal occupation. The fact remains: Palestinians cannot regain their homes and land, whereas settlers can rent out homes built on Palestinian land with the help of Airbnb.
We remind you, your partners and funders, as well as AirBNB that Israeli settlements are illegal and constitute grave breaches of international law, namely Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits the transfer of the Occupying Power’s civilian population into occupied territory, amounting to a war crime in accordance with Article 8(2)(b)(viii) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. By continuing to list properties in illegal Israeli settlements, Airbnb is providing a platform and services that directly contribute to the economic sustainability and growth of Israeli settlements, thereby encouraging their existence and expansion.
The MaRs website says that you “help private and public organizations navigate volatility, grow the economy and create a better world.” We would not expect this to include support of violations against the Fourth Geneva Convention. Surely your partners including federal, provincial and municipal governments, NGOs, publicly owned companies, and broader public sector including academic and health care, would expect that their partnership in MaRS would not be supporting violations of international humanitarian laws and possibly contributing to aiding & abetting war crimes.
For further information in regard to AirBNB please refer to the human rights and international law organization Al Haq: http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/business-and-human-rights-focus/1390-airbnbs-reversal-on-property-listings-of-israeli-settlements-highlights-politicisation-of-human-rights
We urge you to do MaRs, Toronto, Ontario and Canada proud, and break immediately your ties with Air BNB, and denounce their decision to rent properties in illegal settlements.
Call out the federal, provincial, municipal, broader public sector, and NGO involvement in partnering with AirBNB through MaRS.
