Amnesty International accused Airbnb of acting in bad faith towards investors ahead of its stock market debut on Thursday by failing to inform them of its politically sensitive business activities in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Amnesty, which wants Airbnb to delist rental properties in the settlements, said in a statement that the company should have mentioned them in the “Risk Factors” section of a Nov. 16 regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The San Francisco-based booking company is holding an initial public offering on Nasdaq on Thursday.
Amnesty International indicated that "Airbnb" has about 200 rental sites in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
“Airbnb stock is expected to be purchased by investment and pension funds across the world, which could mean that a large number of people will indirectly hold investments in Airbnb without understanding the full ramifications,” the human rights group said.
Most countries regard the settlements that Israel built on land captured in a 1967 war as illegal. Israel disputes that, citing security needs and historical and religious links to the territory, which Palestinians seek for a future state.
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