A Galway-based group is leading a case which alleges Airbnb is profiting from illegal Israeli settlements.
It's set to be heard next month, and will be the first ever case raising alleged complicity in war crimes in an Irish court.
Global Legal Action Network, which has a base at the University of Galway, has joined with The Ireland-Palestine Alliance and Sadaka on the case.
This action forms part of a wider, transatlantic legal challenge, which claims Airbnb is complicit in Israeli war crimes because it lists properties to rent in illegal settlements in Palestine.
It’s targeting the company’s headquarters for Europe, the Middle East and Africa in Dublin, a subsidiary in the UK, and its parent company in the US.
The Irish element of the case stems from a complaint made to Gardaí in 2023, alleging Airbnb is money laundering profits from war crimes.
The case is due to be heard in the High Court on July 7th, while the Occupied Territories Bill is due to be sent to the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee later this month.
In a statement sent to Galway Bay fm news, a spokesperson from Airbnb said:
“Airbnb operates in compliance with applicable Irish and US laws. Since 2019, Airbnb has donated all profits generated from host activity in the West Bank to an international nonprofit, in line with our global framework on disputed territories.”
