SEIZED, SETTLED, LET: How Airbnb and Booking.com help Israelis make money from stolen Palestinian land... "Businesses should not enable, facilitate, or profit from serious violations of international law."

"By operating in settlements, multinational companies including Booking.com and Airbnb are violating international law, human rights activists warn. Booking.com and Airbnb are among 16 non-Israeli companies identified by the UN as having ties to Israeli settlements in the West Bank."

As Israel deploys tanks in the West Bank for the first time in 20 years, we reveal how two of the world’s biggest travel companies are helping settlers commercialise stolen land

Zeke Hunter-Green, Carmen Aguilar García, Anna Leach, Mark Townsend, Pamela Duncan and Prina Shah

Thu 27 Feb 2025 03.00 EST

Last modified on Thu 27 Feb 2025 09.10 EST

The villa is stunning. The private swimming pool; the lush, landscaped terrace with firepit; the long dining table with its expansive balcony view; the pingpong table; the piano.

But the jewel in the crown, according to the Airbnb listing, is the experience of watching the sun rise over the nearby mountains from the luxury of the generous master bedroom.

The villa with views of the Judean mountains is in a settlement located on land seized from Palestinians and considered illegal under international humanitarian law.

Only a handful of Palestinians are allowed to enter this, and other, Israeli settlements in the West Bank, usually as labourers with special permits.

Exclusive analysis carried out by the Guardian found 760 rooms being advertised in hotels, apartments and other holiday rentals in illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, on two of the world’s most popular tourism websites.

Taken together, the listings that appear on either Airbnb or Booking.com could host more than 2,000 people as of August 2024. The villa was just one of them.... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/world/ng-interactive/2025/feb/27/seized-settled-let-how-airbnb-and-bookingcom-help-israelis-make-money-from-stolen-palestinian-land

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine ]

Photo by Palestinian Journalist Osama Abu Rabee أسامة أبوربيع : A rainbow this morning in Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Mar 1, 2025

Osama Abu Rabee أسامة أبوربيع

@dn_osama_rabee

A rainbow this morning in Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

United Nations: In this Holy Month, let us all embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all... as millions of people around the world begin to observe Ramadan.

United Nations

@UN

In this Holy Month, let us all embrace our common humanity to build a more just and peaceful world for all. —

@antonioguterres

as millions of people around the world begin to observe #Ramadan.

António Guterres: We will never, ever give up making this world better for everyone, everywhere.

The Whole World

Professor of Physics David Goldberg, PhD, is part of a team that tackled these questions and struck upon what is now the most accurate flat map of the world: a double-sided circle that features the Northern Hemisphere on one side and the Southern Hemisphere on the other. Picture a vinyl record and flipping it over in your hands—the edge of the record would be the equator.

Jewish Voice for Peace: Mazel tov to the Presbyterian Church (USA) on their historic vote to divest from Israel's occupation, one year ago! !!!!!!!!!

Jewish Voice for Peace

@jvplive

Mazel tov to the

@Presbyterian

Church (USA) on their historic vote to divest from Israel's occupation, one year ago!

 

Israel, armed with American made weaponry and political support, invests in religious extremism and sets up families to be canon fodder for religious wars.... Israel claims to be Jewish, but what it really is is a cruel war machine that has been aggressively grabbing land, rights, and peace from the people of historic Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.

Recent cartoon in my local newspaper

Dear America,

Jewish is not Israel, despite the newest investment ETF on the New York Stock Exchange claiming to be defending Jewish people: Jewish is an ancient religion, and a precious heritage and identity for many individuals worldwide, whereas Israel is a 76 year old political entity that is in long term & flagrant violation of international law.

Israel, armed with American made weaponry and political support, invests in religious extremism and sets up families to be canon fodder for religious wars.  America should not be investing in or supporting that: America should be investing in the rule of fair & just laws and democratic ideals with equal rights, freedom, & respect for all people, regardless of supposed race or religion, here and there.

Israel claims to be Jewish, but what it really is is a cruel war machine that has been aggressively grabbing land, rights, and peace from the people of historic Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.  

There are many good and decent people, true to American ideals, who happen to be Jewish.  They invest in America and real democracy- not Israel.  There are also many good and decent people living in historic Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan who are worthy of our concern and respect.

Sincerely,

Anne Selden Annab

Notes  https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/Notes

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Dr Martin Luther King Jr

2025 is the International Year of Peace & Trust : The UNGA resolution calls on the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue & negotiation in order to ensure the strengthening of peace & trust in relations between UN member states

In 1948 Albert Einstein along with 28 other prominent Jewish leaders wrote a letter to the New York Times… It stated that the Israeli political party resembled the Nazi Party in its ideology and methods. Einstein went on to say that he opposed the state of Israel and it was against the religion of Judaism

Rev. Mitri Raheb, Pastor in Bethlehem, Palestine: "As Christians, we experiance the weaponization of the Bible to drive this colonial project and endow it with a theologicial grounding. The Bible that is a part of our heritage is being turned against us to enshrine Jewish supremacy and promote the settler colonization of our land..."

UNITED NATIONS: Every child has the right to grow up free from violence and fear. Children must be protected. Always. Everywhere. They are #NotATarget. —via @UNICEF

Israeli army kills two Palestinian children in occupied West Bank “Both Ayman and Rimas were targeted suddenly and without warning in the back with lethal force by Israeli soldiers safely positioned inside armoured vehicles”

Three more Palestinian children have frozen to death due to the "severe cold" as Israel continues to bar the entry of temporary homes into Gaza, says Saeed Salah, director of the Patient’s Friends Benevolent Society.

Healthcare workers are protected under international law yet hundreds were detained during the Israel's war on Gaza. Now, some of Gaza’s most senior doctors have spoken of the violence and abuse they say they faced

Mo Amer - “Mo," Honoring Palestine & Absurdities of the U.S. Immigration...

Sue Williamson, an anti-apartheid artist: “They’re trying to set it up that South Africa is not a credible country to bring such a case [the International Court of Justice (ICJ) case against Israel]... You’ll see South Africa dragged through the mud a lot more by Netanyahu [Benjamin, prime minister of Israel] and Trump and Musk.”

Mosab Abu Toha: I don’t understand this evil. Wherever there is occupation, there is destruction.... Instead of forcing Israel to comply with international law and end its occupation, the world is watching Israel continue its destruction of an entire people who they are occupying

The BBC documentary was rated 5 stars by @guardian before it was pulled... Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone review – these incredible children offer a sliver of hope: This often-distressing BBC documentary follows astonishing kids working as TikTok chefs and hospital porters – and shows their determination to smile in the face of unimaginable horror

Long-term effects of Gaza war could quadruple Palestinian death toll, warn UK doctors Surgeons who worked in Gaza fear disease, malnutrition and eradication of healthcare will reverberate for decades: The total deaths from Israel’s war on Gaza could ultimately be as high as 186,000.

From Palestine, a couple on their wedding day, Ramallah in 1928: The Wedding of Shiblie Oudie Shiblie to Jalileh Saleh Shilbie (Samieh)

"Surif is one of the beautiful Palestinian mountain towns located 25 km northwest of the city of Hebron. It also rises about 600 meters above sea level. It is known for its beautiful landscapes, and famous for the cultivation of olives, figs, almonds, grapes, pears, appricots and other fruits." Ibtisam Suleiman

Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem Condemn Unjust Foreclosure Against Armenian Patriarchate, Urge Immediate Intervention.

The 1,700+ year old Armenian Christian Quarter in Jerusalem (and all faith based communities of the Holy Land) are in dire danger as Israel engineers more land & property grabs

Dear America- Hate crimes are escalating here in America with people primed by Zionism to think, say and do horrible things...

Slavery, Segregation and Forced Displacement are wrong. Wrong then and wrong now

"Differences of race, nationality or religion should not be used to deny any human being citizenship rights or privileges" Rosa Parks

"Whatever our nationality, place of residence, gender, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status, the international community on December 10 1948 made a commitment to upholding dignity and justice for all of us..."

Palestine West Bank Access Restrictions Map | November 2024 & Maps showing Israeli made checkpoints & barriers on Palestinian land

NOTHING justifies violent extremism ... United Nations plan of action to prevent violent extremism

Building a Culture of Peace ...

Please do not demonize and silence or destroy people who speak out peacefully against corruption, injustice, racism, bigotry, and violence of every type.

My Letters https://anniesnewletters.blogspot.com/search/label/letters

 

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..."   https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights

In the aftermath of the ceasefire in Gaza, 1.9 million displaced people urgently need shelter, aid, and psycho-social support.⁣ ⁣UNRWA plays a vital role in fostering stability and resilience during this critical time.⁣

Three more Palestinian children have frozen to death due to the "severe cold" as Israel continues to bar the entry of temporary homes into Gaza, says Saeed Salah, director of the Patient’s Friends Benevolent Society.

Al Jazeera English

@AJEnglish

Three more Palestinian children have frozen to death due to the "severe cold" as Israel continues to bar the entry of temporary homes into Gaza, says Saeed Salah, director of the Patient’s Friends Benevolent Society.

 

"Currently, I am in the city of Khan Younis surrounded by destruction as families live in the remains of destroyed residential buildings. And children live inside these buildings without any type of essential humanitarian facilities, including electricity, water and sanitation.

That is why mobile homes and shelters are highly required by the Palestinian faction in Gaza as part of the ceasefire agreement.

But Israel, until now, has not allowed a sufficient number of mobile shelters and tents to enter the Gaza Strip.

Families have been using makeshift tents for more than one and a half years, and now they live in open spaces. In particular, children and the elderly have been left vulnerable to facing the cold weather in Gaza."

Tareq Abu Azzoum

Reporting from Khan Younis, Gaza

Updates: Israel keeps up West Bank raids; 3 Gaza children freeze to death

 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2025/2/25/live-israel-demolishes-vast-areas-of-west-banks-jenin-sets-up-army-base

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine ]

Healthcare workers are protected under international law yet hundreds were detained during the Israel's war on Gaza. Now, some of Gaza’s most senior doctors have spoken of the violence and abuse they say they faced

 Doctors in detention

‘No rules’: Gaza’s doctors say they were tortured, beaten and humiliated in Israeli detention

By Annie Kelly, Hoda Osman and Farah Jallad

Healthcare workers are protected under international law yet hundreds were detained during the war. Now, some of Gaza’s most senior doctors have spoken of the violence and abuse they say they faced

• More than 160 Gazan medics held in Israeli prisons amid reports of torture

Dr Issam Abu Ajwa was in the middle of performing emergency surgery on a patient with a severe abdominal injury at al-Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza when the soldiers came for him.

“I asked them what they were doing coming into the operating theatre,” he says. “One of the soldiers pointed at me and said: ‘Are you Dr Issam Abu Ajwa?’ I said: ‘Yes, that’s me.’ And then the beating began.”

Still in his surgeons’ scrubs, the 63-year-old Abu Ajwa says he was dragged from the operating room before being handcuffed, blindfolded and stripped.

He was then put in a military truck with other doctors, nurses and medical staff and driven away from the hospital. Less than 24 hours later he was in a detention facility in Israel, beginning what he describes as months of brutal and constant violence and abuse.

“There were no rules,” he says.

During interrogations, he says he was tortured and beaten... READ MORE  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/feb/25/israel-gaza-doctors-surgeons-healthcare-detention-international-law

  [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine ]

Rev. Mitri Raheb, Pastor in Bethlehem, Palestine: "As Christians, we experiance the weaponization of the Bible to drive this colonial project and endow it with a theologicial grounding. The Bible that is a part of our heritage is being turned against us to enshrine Jewish supremacy and promote the settler colonization of our land..."

In 1948 Albert Einstein along with 28 other prominent Jewish leaders wrote a letter to the New York Times… It stated that the Israeli political party resembled the Nazi Party in its ideology and methods. Einstein went on to say that he opposed the state of Israel and it was against the religion of Judaism

Albert Einstein passionately argued against the creators and creation of Israel. He called it a terrorist organisation.

Albert Einstein Letter to The New York Times published December 4, 1948

Internet Archive  pg 2-3

https://archive.org/details/AlbertEinsteinLetterToTheNewYorkTimes.December41948/page/n1/mode/2up

Topics

Einstein, Arendt, anti-fascism, Zionism, Palestine, Irgun, Israel

Mo Amer - “Mo," Honoring Palestine & Absurdities of the U.S. Immigration...

Feb 3, 2025: Mo Amer, a writer, stand-up comedian, and co-creator and star of “Mo,” sits down with Jon Stewart to discuss the second season of his Peabody Award-winning Netflix series, inspired by his own refugee experience. They discuss how the series explores the complexities of statelessness and asylum, the absurdities of the immigration process, and how he leaned on Jon for support while figuring out whether to talk about Oct. 7 on his show. #DailyShow #JonStewart #MoAmer

Mosab Abu Toha: I don’t understand this evil. Wherever there is occupation, there is destruction.... Instead of forcing Israel to comply with international law and end its occupation, the world is watching Israel continue its destruction of an entire people who they are occupying

Mosab Abu Toha

@MosabAbuToha

I don’t understand this evil. Wherever there is occupation, there is destruction.

 

Mosab Abu Toha

@MosabAbuToha

Instead of forcing Israel to comply with international law and end its occupation, the world is watching Israel continue its destruction of an entire people who they are occupying. Not enough, corporate media is covering for Israel’s crimes while most governments fund the killing campaign and while one specific government, itself an active partner of Israel, vetos any resolution that could put an end to this BS.

The BBC documentary was rated 5 stars by @guardian before it was pulled... Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone review – these incredible children offer a sliver of hope: This often-distressing BBC documentary follows astonishing kids working as TikTok chefs and hospital porters – and shows their determination to smile in the face of unimaginable horror

All the children in the film share a disorienting matter-of-fact tone’ … Abdullah, who acts as narrator in Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone. Photograph: Amjad Al Fayoumi/BBC/Hoyo Films

 Miqdaad Versi

@miqdaad

The BBC documentary was rated 5 stars by @guardian before it was pulled

Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone review – these incredible children offer a sliver of hope

Jack Seale

Mon 17 Feb 2025 17.00 EST

Last modified on Fri 21 Feb 2025 11.37 EST

The children of Gaza will be its future, if they are able to remain there. Starting several months into Israel’s bombardment and continuing right up until the recent ceasefire, London-based directors Jamie Roberts and Yousef Hammash made their documentary Gaza: How to Survive a Warzone by remotely instructing two local cameramen, Amjad Al Fayoumi and Ibrahim Abu Ishaiba, as they captured life inside the “safe zone” – an ever-changing, ever-dwindling area in the south-west of Gaza, designated by Israel as the place where displaced Palestinians should reside. That the cameras predominantly follow children has an unexpected double effect: it makes the film’s many deeply distressing moments all the more unbearable, yet it tinges them with some sort of hope.

The kids are led by 13-year-old Abdullah, who acts as narrator as well as appearing on camera. “This area used to be colourful,” he says, briskly touring a scene of apocalyptic destruction in Khan Younis, where he lived in a house that sheltered 40 people before Israeli bombs turned it to dusty rubble. “Now, it’s grey.”

Abdullah maintains a wryly sunny tone as he describes how you live after you’ve lost everything, and his determination to smile while surviving is matched by 10-year-old Renad, whose method of coping with shells landing a terrifyingly short distance away is to laugh and chatter, even as the earth shakes. Renad concentrates instead on her online cooking channel: we see her recording a guide to making a dessert, apologising to viewers for having to use powdered milk. She is a natural presenter, fluent and engagingly upbeat. “They’re from all over the world,” Renad says of her growing TikTok fanbase. “If there is too long between posting videos, they check on me, thinking I got killed.”

Most remarkable is Zakaria, an indefatigable 11-year-old who chooses to spend all his time bustling around al-Aqsa, the only fully functioning hospital still standing in Gaza, having appointed himself to work as a volunteer... READ MORE https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/feb/17/gaza-how-to-survive-a-warzone-review-these-incredible-children-offer-a-sliver-of-hope

 [AS ALWAYS PLEASE GO TO THE LINK TO READ GOOD ARTICLES (or watch videos) IN FULL: HELP SHAPE ALGORITHMS (and conversations) THAT EMPOWER DECENCY, DIGNITY, JUSTICE & PEACE... and hopefully Palestine ]

From Palestine, a couple on their wedding day, Ramallah in 1928: The Wedding of Shiblie Oudie Shiblie to Jalileh Saleh Shilbie (Samieh)

From Palestine, a couple in the studio on their wedding day, Ramallah in 1928. 

Wedding of Shiblie Oudie Shiblie to Jalileh Saleh Shilbie (Samieh)

تاريخ الدولة العثمانية 

Ottoman Empire

 https://afrppreservationproject.org/photos/wedding-of-shiblie-oudie-shiblie-to-jalileh-saleh-shilbie-samieh/