Rights organizations lodge complaint against Booking.com for including Israeli settlements in listings

Human rights groups in the Netherlands have taken a bold step by filing a criminal complaint against the popular hotel broker site Booking.com for potential war crimes. The groups, including the European Legal Support Centre (ELSC), Al Haq, Somo, and the Rights Forum, have accused Booking.com of benefiting from listings in Israeli settlements located within occupied Palestinian territories.

The complaint, which was confirmed by Dutch prosecutors, alleges that Booking.com may have been involved in money laundering in the Netherlands through its business operations in the occupied West Bank. Israeli settlements built on land taken from Palestinians are considered illegal under international law, making Booking.com’s alleged involvement a serious violation.

Booking.com has vehemently denied the accusations, stating that there are no laws prohibiting listings in Israeli settlements. The company also pointed out that various US state laws would prevent divestment from the region. However, the human rights groups remain steadfast in their claims and are pushing for legal action to be taken against Booking.com.

According to Dutch NGO SOMO, Booking.com listed a total of 70 properties in occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank between 2021 and 2023. SOMO further accused Booking.com of violating the Netherlands’ anti-money laundering regulations by profiting from these listings in illegal Israeli settlements.

Lydia de Leeuw from SOMO expressed the group’s dedication to addressing the issue, stating, “We have been working on this complaint for years, responding to calls of Palestinians who have seen their property being stolen to end up as profitable vacation homes for settlers on Booking.com.” The group also highlighted the lack of response from Booking.com to warnings from human rights groups, activists, and concerned employees within the company regarding its operations in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In response to mounting pressure, Booking.com announced in 2022 that it would introduce a warning for customers visiting listings in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. However, the human rights groups argue that more concrete actions need to be taken to address the underlying issues of settler-colonialism and racial domination that are perpetuated by such operations.

The timing of the criminal complaint against Booking.com coincides with a troubling report from Israeli settlement watchdog Peace Now, which revealed a record year for Israeli settlements. The report highlighted new approvals for residential units in the Jordan Valley and noted that the size of seized land was the largest since the 1993 Oslo Accords. With approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers living in around 300 illegal settlements in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, the issue of settlements remains a contentious and complex issue.

The Netherlands, along with other European countries, considers settlements built on Palestinian land captured by Israel in 1967 as illegal. The criminal complaint against Booking.com underscores the growing international scrutiny and condemnation of activities that support and benefit from the ongoing occupation and colonization of Palestinian territories. As the legal process unfolds, the outcome of this case could have far-reaching implications for companies operating in conflict-affected regions around the world.