Israel Threatens Amnesty International

Tel Aviv, MINA – Israeli Minister Public Security Gilad Erdan on Wednesday has threatened to ban Amnesty International from access to his country because their statement that digital tourism companies benefit from “war crimes” in the occupied West Bank.

This London-based leading Human Rights Group asked online Airbnb giant Booking.com, Expedia and TripAdvisor to stop listing accommodation, activities and tourist attractions in settlements occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, Palestine.

“Amnesty International, which is hypocritical, speaks on behalf of human rights and in the practice of promoting boycotts against Israelis as part of a campaign to boycott and delegate anti-Semitism,” Erdan said in a statement in Hebrew released on Tuesday night, New Arab reports quoted by MINA.

“I instructed the ministry of strategic affairs to examine the possibility of preventing Amnesty personnel from entering, or staying in Israel,” said Erdan, who is also a minister of strategic affairs, and is actively opposing the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel internationally.

He said, he had begun to act well before the official publication of the “Destination: Occupation” study issued by Amnesty.

“A few weeks ago I asked the finance minister to end the tax benefits given to Amnesty International,” he said without giving details.

In its report, Amnesty said it condemned Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem because it contravened international humanitarian law so that settlements made by Israel were considered illegal.

“In doing business with settlements, the four companies contribute, and benefit from, maintenance, development and expansion of illegal settlements, which are war crimes under international criminal law,” Amnesty International stressed.

In November, Airbnb announced that had removed from its bidding list, rental homes in the occupied West Bank. (T/Sj/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)