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.
Just not engaging with foolish arguments.
Who are “the colonists?” Should we boycott Christian Palestinians who were part of the colonization of the crusades? Should we allow companies to do business with Jews in historically Jewish areas like the Old City of Jerusalem or Hebron, even though they are are on the Palestinian side of the Green Line? Do colonists include Palestinians who came to the West Bank from Jordan between 1948 and 1967? Are all Israelis colonists, regardless of whether they are Jewish, Palestinian, Druze, etc?
It seems like the comment was either a cowardly way of avoiding saying “yes, boycott the Jews,” or else it came from a place of astounding historical ignorance. Either way, it’s not worth my time to continue.
Will the reply to this be a thoughtful, informed response, or a zingy one-liner designed to dunk on an unpopular opinion?