Digital giants 'profiting' from Israeli settlements: Amnesty

• January 31 2019
• http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/digital-giants-profiting-from-israeli-settlements-amnesty_155996

London, United Kingdom (AFP) — Digital tourism giants Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdvisor are profiting from “war crimes” by offering services in Israeli settlements, rights group Amnesty International said in a report published Wednesday.

The London-based organisation's “Destination: Occupation” report called on the companies to stop listing tourist accommodation, activities and attractions in settlements in occupied territories, including east Jerusalem.

“They are doing so despite knowing that Israel's occupation of the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, is governed by international humanitarian law under which Israeli settlements are deemed illegal,” said the report.

“In doing business with settlements, all four companies are contributing to, and profiting from, the maintenance, development and expansion of illegal settlements, which amount to war crimes under international criminal law.”

Israeli public security minister Gilad Erdan threatened to bar Amnesty from access to the Jewish state over its charge.

“The hypocritical Amnesty International speaks in the name of human rights and in practice promotes boycotts against Israeli citizens as part of the anti-Semitic boycott and delegitimisation campaign,” Erdan said in a statement released Tuesday night.

“I instructed the ministry of strategic affairs to examine the possibility of preventing Amnesty personnel from entering, or residing in, Israel, said Erdan who is also strategic affairs minister, charged with opposing the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement.