In a release announcing the move, Airbnb said its decision was made in the context of an all-encompassing “framework for evaluating how [Airbnb] should treat listings in occupied territories.” However, Airbnb has not applied this framework to any country other than Israel.
Kaufman and Mariaschin point out that Airbnb’s press release “concedes that U.S. law permits companies like Airbnb to engage in business in these territories.” The decision could not have been motivated by legal concerns.
According to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA)’s working definition of anti-Semitism, “manifestations might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity.” By singling out Israel from the hundreds of countries that Airbnb has listings in, the company is doing just that.
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