Al Jazeera News :
Jerusalem – Dozens of listings on the online accommodation service Airbnb show immaculate cottages, elaborate breakfasts and rolling hillside views “in Israel” – but what is not stated is that the properties are located in Jewish settlements and outposts on occupied Palestinian territory.
One shows a tidy, three-bedroom rental home with an idyllic courtyard framed by a lush green grapevine, for the price of 800 shekels ($205) in Tekoa, a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The listing promises “three rooms, a balcony, a grape arbour, an orchard and a sitting area overlooking the spectacular Judea desert landscape. Well equipped, decorated, beautifully and tastefully furnished in authentic oriental style.”
The accommodation is listed as being located 15 minutes from Jerusalem, and “inspiring”.
This and similar listings for property rentals in settlements and outposts deemed illegal under international law have sparked condemnation from the Palestinian community.
Efrat is located south of Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank [Airbnb]
“It’s not only controversial, it’s illegal and criminal,” Husam Zomlot, the ambassador-at-large for Palestine, told Al Jazeera. “This website is promoting stolen property and land.”
Airbnb does not list any safety and security concerns in relation to the listings, despite a recent escalation in violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
“We follow laws and regulations on where we can do business and investigate concerns raised about specific listings,” company spokesman Peter Huntingford told Al Jazeera. He would not say whether the listings in question had been targeted for investigation.
