DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's Garda Commissioner will now reconsider a complaint made by a Palestinian man against Airbnb. The man says Israeli settlers used Airbnb to rent out homes built on land that was taken from him in the West Bank, the High Court heard.
The man, who lives in the West Bank, had gone to court in July after the Garda refused to investigate his complaint. He claims Airbnb helped commit crimes such as illegal transfer of land, appropriation, and money laundering.
He says Airbnb allowed these rentals to happen through its Dublin office, which serves as the company's headquarters for Europe and the Middle East. Airbnb has been contacted for comment.
On October 16, the man's lawyer, Aoife McMahon, told Justice Mary Rose Gearty that the Garda Commissioner had agreed to reconsider the case. The Commissioner's lawyer, Remy Farrell, confirmed the decision in court. Justice Gearty then canceled the Garda's earlier decision not to investigate the complaint.
The court had already granted an order keeping the man's identity secret, as revealing his name could put him "in danger from the Israeli authorities." The man is supported in his case by Sadaka, an Irish organization that advocates for Palestinian rights.
He argues that Israeli settlers are earning money from homes illegally built on his private land without his permission.
The Garda first received his complaint in August 2023. It accused Airbnb Ireland UC of breaking several Irish laws, including the Geneva Convention Act, the International Criminal Court Act, and the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Act.
These Irish laws are linked to international treaties that make certain crimes punishable even if they happen outside Ireland.
However, in November 2024, the Garda's National Economic Crime Bureau decided that no offense had been committed under Irish law and chose not to open an investigation. A later review upheld that decision.
In his court case, the man argued that the evidence he gave to the Garda clearly showed crimes that were committed in Ireland through Airbnb's Dublin operations.
