Anti-Israel Activists Target Airbnb: Shocking Legal Battle Erupts

This week Anti-Israel organizations, including the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN), Ireland’s Sadaka, and Palestinian group Al-Haq, announced a coordinated legal campaign targeting Airbnb for its listings in Judea and Samaria, which they claim are “illegal” under international law. At a Dublin press conference, GLAN senior lawyer Gerry Liston declared, “These are the first ever cases to apply anti-money laundering legislation to business activity in the illegal Israeli settlements,” warning that Airbnb executives face “personal risk of prosecution for a very serious criminal offense.” The groups aim to pressure Airbnb through novel legal tactics, accusing the company of profiting from properties in disputed territories.

In the UK, GLAN and Al-Haq filed a criminal complaint with the National Crime Agency, alleging Airbnb’s UK subsidiary is handling proceeds from war crimes under money laundering laws. In Ireland, Sadaka is pursuing a judicial review after authorities dismissed a similar complaint in 2024. In the U.S., GLAN issued a document preservation notice to Airbnb’s headquarters, invoking the Foreign Legal Assistance statute to demand internal communications. Similar actions target other platforms, with Dutch prosecutors investigating Booking.com and the European Legal Support Center filing parallel cases in the Netherlands.

Airbnb faced similar pressure in 2018, announcing plans to delist around 200 Judea and Samaria properties to “act responsibly.” However, Israeli hosts and communities countered with a 2019 class-action lawsuit in U.S. federal court, arguing the policy was discriminatory. Airbnb settled, reversing the delisting and now hosts over 300 properties across Israel, including in contested areas. The campaign reflects a broader surge in anti-Israel activism, often tied to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, which critics say fuels antisemitism. In 2024, antisemitic incidents in Europe rose 60%, per the Anti-Defamation League, amid such targeted actions. Israel maintains that Judea and Samaria listings are legal, as the territories’ status remains unresolved pending peace talks, while the campaign risks escalating economic and diplomatic tensions.