Following the announcement by KPMG and Netflix to suspend operations in Russia and Belarus over the attack on Ukraine, the CEO and founder of Airbnb has announced similar measures for the global holiday rental platform.
Speaking on the BBC Radio 4 Today program (7 March 2022), Brian Chesky talked of a difficult decision that in the end had to be made. Asked whether this would set a precedence, for example with regard to a potential attack by China on Taiwan or indeed with regard to the ongoing brutalisation of the Uighur people, Mr Chesky declined to give a firm response, though he did outline what currently guides Airbnb ethical policy.
“With regard to Airbnb communities all over the world we have a non-discrimination policy and work hard to remove listings of any community member violating our policy of antidiscrimination, consistently looking country by country making sure we can defend our practices.”
Given the crime committed by Mr Putin in invading Ukraine and the atrocities the Russian president is causing Russian soldiers to commit, there seems to be a sound argument for Airbnb to boycott Russian property owners in line with their ethics policy. At the same time it is a shame that whilst Airbnb seem to have a semblance of an ethical approach, for which they are to be applauded (admittedly encouraged perhaps by the general Russia sanctions movement and “guidance” received from the US government, as Mr Chesky put it), Airbnb lacks consistency with regard to any lasting and far reaching ethical stance, the very which Mr Chesky was vague about when responding to the BBC reporter.
This is not the first time properties and owners have been banned from Airbnb on the basis of violations of human rights and international law. In 2018, in response to lobbying by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement in aid of Palestinian human rights, Airbnb agreed to remove Israeli owned properties in the occupied Palestinian lands and the Syrian Golan Heights, both territories considered under international law as illegally militarily occupied and illegally settled.
After potentially damaging though entirely unfounded accusations of anti-Semitism and discrimination against Israel as motivation for the ban (as opposed to rightful recognition of human rights abuses and violation of International Law by Israel), Airbnb sadly bent to such pressure and re-instated properties belonging to illegal Jewish settlers, whose brutal discrimination against Palestinians is well documented by Israeli human rights organisations such as B’Tselem. This U-turn was condemned by Jewish Voice for Peace, who called for humanitarian groups and non-profits receiving Airbnb funds to “say no to dirty money.”
This folding in the face of threats of a false anti-Semitic smear was remarkable, since Airbnb need not fear. If ever there was a clear case for an ethical stance supported by concrete evidence it is the boycott of Israel until it respects international law. There is no controversy or doubt whatsoever that Israel and Israeli settlers are in violation of human rights and International Law on land occupied through conquest. It is there to read in the United Nations Resolutions on Palestine, and many Israelis and Jews themselves are appalled by such conduct and consistently call it out.
Yet the anti-Semitic smearing of Airbnb and the righteous motive underlying the boycott was enough to force capitulation by Airbnb. (Ben and Jerrys’ have, on the other hand, held steadfast to their boycott on selling their brand of ice cream not just in the occupied Palestinian lands, but in Israel itself).
This will remain a mark on the moral integrity of Airbnb and its shareholders, and listening to Mr Chesky speak of his resolve to boycott Russian and Belarusian owners, the whiff of the climb down over Jewish property owners illegally occupying Palestinian lands was, like the proverbial elephant in the room, palpably all around him. It must surely have been in his consciousness as he spoke.
It is a shame on many levels, because as we listen to the gasps of shock and horror surrounding the vicious attack on Ukraine, and that this should not be happening in the 21st Century, Airbnb is missing an opportunity to be among those to lead the way forward through century, making ethics solidly part of their brand and sticking to it come what may. It is particularly onerous on businesses to be ethical in the 21st Century, since aside from what they think of themselves as ethical beings, despite their power and reach they can no longer present a moral face to customers whilst dealing with those who commit crimes and violate international law. (The Russian people are not the ones committing the crimes, but unfortunately there is no other way but sanctions to isolate Russia right now.)