Ben Kelmer, a photographer from Tel Aviv who was planning to fly with his wife to the UK in March went on the Airbnb website, where people list, find, and rent lodging, discovered an apartment in Oxford for $85 per night, and approached the owner via the website, Newsweek reported Thursday.
He wrote:
Hey,
my wife and I are coming to London and I saw your place. My wife needs to be in Oxford for 3 days and we learned that [your place is] near the Oxford tube. Does it leave Marvel Arch and go straight to Oxford? And how much time is it from your home to Marvel Arch station?
Thanks! Maybe we will meet soon : )
Here is what he received in return, from Mario, the owner:
Reason I have declined your request: the day you stop occupying someone’s land, I might be able to consider hosting you. This is how the world pictures you: aggressive settlers occupying lands, destroying houses. In a few words: not respecting basic human rights. On that basis, I just cannot even consider hosting you, even if you pay me millions.
The Airbnb is based on ratings. A guest would avoid a place that other guests have rated poorly, and the host is allowed to refuse a guest who has been rated poorly by other hosts. The company reviews the ratings and occasionally filters them, but its firm policy prohibits discrimination, racism and hatred. Would a rejection of a person based strictly on his home country be considered discrimination?
Kelmer scanned the response he received and posted on the Airbnb Facebook page with the comment: “This is the response I received today from a potential landlord. With no knowledge about who we are, never mind our political views, not that it should make a difference, people aren’t their governments! … We have run into the finest in European discriminations and racism, under the horrible guise of political protest … reserved specifically for Israelis. Congratulations on creating dialogue and building bridges.”
Kelmer, who considers himself a leftist, told Newsweek, “I started getting harassment and people have put up a picture of me on Facebook that I am like a stuck-up Israeli … I’ve really had enough. I just pointed out an issue, a problem I had with the guy, and it became like me representing Israel.”
In reaction to the incident, Airbnb said they had removed Mario from their platform. “Discrimination has no place on Airbnb and we have removed this host from our community,” the company told Newsweek. “We are proud to have one of the most open, trusted, diverse and transparent communities in the world and investigate any claims we receive.”
Incidentally, Airbnb was criticized recently for including lodgings in Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. So, in our book, they’re the good guys.