In rejection of 'Airbnb' profiting from settlements.. Albanese and Weizman withdraw from 'Hay' International Festival

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, announced her official withdrawal from participating in the activities of the 'Hay Festival' International. This stance came in protest against the existing partnership between the festival organizers and the American company 'Airbnb', which specializes in digital property rentals.

Albanese affirmed that her decision stems from the principle of rejecting normalization with entities that profit from illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank. She clarified that the sponsoring company directly contributes to supporting an economic system that perpetuates the occupation, annexation, and forced displacement of Palestinians from their lands.

Albanese was not alone in this stance, as Professor Eyal Weizman, a prominent architect and thinker, also announced his withdrawal from the festival in solidarity with these principles. Weizman holds the position of Professor of Spatial Cultures at Goldsmiths, University of London, and is known for his academic activism against occupation policies.

It is worth noting that the 'Hay Festival' literary festival is currently being held in the town of 'Hay-on-Wye' in Wales, United Kingdom, and continues until the end of May. The festival is classified as one of the most important cultural and literary forums worldwide, which gives the withdrawal of human rights figures from it a wide international resonance.

The UN Rapporteur emphasized in a post on the 'X' platform that human values cannot be fragmented or made conditional on specific circumstances. She stated that silence in the face of violations should not be the price for comfort or cultural prestige, considering the withdrawal a cry against the continued support for settlements.

Official festival data shows that 'Airbnb' is associated with the event as a strategic partner and official sponsor, which has angered human rights defenders. The company faces continuous international criticism for listing properties located within settlements built on usurped Palestinian lands.

This stance coincides with the escalating pace of settlement expansion in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the current Israeli government took office in late 2022. Reports indicate an unprecedented expansion of settlement outposts, which the United Nations considers a clear violation of international law.

Statistics indicate the presence of approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers distributed among hundreds of settlements and pastoral outposts throughout the West Bank. Among these, about a quarter of a million settlers reside in occupied East Jerusalem, complicating the prospects for establishing a geographically contiguous Palestinian state.

Settlement expansion has been accompanied by an escalation on the ground by the occupation army and settlers, including widespread demolition operations of Palestinian structures and livelihoods. These measures, according to observers, aim to impose a new reality that paves the way for the official annexation of the West Bank to Israeli sovereignty.

In a related context, a report by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission revealed that the occupation carried out dozens of demolition operations last month alone. These operations affected inhabited homes and agricultural facilities in the governorates of Jerusalem, Ramallah, and Bethlehem, leading to the displacement of dozens of families.

Palestinians view these moves, including the cancellation of Jordanian legislation and allowing settlers to own land in areas 'A' and 'B', as 'creeping annexation'. These steps are considered a complete undermining of international agreements and UN resolutions that stipulate the illegality of demographic changes in the occupied territories.

The withdrawal of Albanese and Weizman highlights the moral responsibility of international cultural institutions in choosing their partners. It also strengthens international boycott campaigns targeting companies involved in supporting the infrastructure of the Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories.

Values cannot be conditional, and silence cannot be the price of comfort.