Short-term rentals in occupied West Bank territories, Ireland investigates Airbnb

Short-rental platforms Airbnb and Booking end up under indictment in Europe for listing accommodation in Israeli colonies, considered illegal, in the Palestinian territories.

In Ireland, where Airbnb is headquartered for Europe and the Middle East, the High Court overturned the police decision not to open an investigation into the legality of operations in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The judges rejected the argument that the police lacked jurisdiction, while clarifying that the ruling does not imply the automatic opening of an investigation, but obliges a review of the matter.

The case was raised by Sadaka, an Irish-Palestinian non-governmental organisation, which had called for an investigation into whether Airbnb had violated Irish law by operating in the settlements. The NGO had called the police's decision not to initiate the investigation 'legally wrong and irrational'.

In 2019 Airbnb had explained that while it allows listings throughout the West Bank, it does not profit from these activities and has never boycotted either Israel or Israeli companies.

More than 150 companies, including Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdvisor, operate in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are considered illegal by the United Nations, as highlighted in a report by the human rights office published in September.