Airbnb reverses decision to remove West Bank listings

Airbnb announced that its policy of boycotting Jewish properties in Judea and Samaria would not be carried out in practice.

The announcement follows a meeting between officials from Airbnb and Israeli Tourism Minister Yariv Levin.

The Tourism Ministry called the decision "a step in the right direction," a reference to the fact that the initial decision to boycott the Jewish homes was not officially reversed but will merely not be implemented.

Minister Levin said that he will continue to act to ensure that all Israeli citizens will receive equal treatment and will continue to strengthen tourism in Israel, including in Judea and Samaria.

Last month, the online rental marketplace announced that it will no longer list homes in Jewish communities of Judea and Samaria. About 200 homes in Judea and Samaria had been listed on Airbnb prior to the announcement.

Airbnb justified the decision by stating that it had developed a new five point checklist for handling listings in "occupied territories." and had "concluded that we should remove listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians."

Critics have accused Airbnb of discrimination against Jews as it continues to list properties in Judea and Samaria that are not owned by Jews and has not delisted any properties in any other conflict zone, including Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus, Russian-occupied Crimea, or Chinese occupied Tibet, among others.