THIS year many people’s holiday plans will be affected by coronavirus, and travellers will obviously want to get proper advice before they book.
However, holidaymakers should also consider whether their vacations could negatively impact the people and places they visit.
One example is holidays and activities in Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Online tourism companies such as TripAdvisor, Airbnb, Expedia and Booking.com knowingly offer holidays in Israel’s settlements despite them being illegal under international law.
The settlements are literally constructed on land stolen from Palestinian families, whose own homes and business have been bulldozed down by the Israeli military.
The UN and most countries in the world - including our own - have long called for Israel to halt settlement expansion, and Amnesty believes they should be dismantled.
By operating in the settlements, the likes of TripAdvisor are profiting from crimes against the Palestinian people.
Please support our petition calling on TripAdvisor to “check out” of the settlements - amnesty.org.uk/actions/checkout
Colin Taylor, Newcastle Amnesty Group, Rowlands Gill
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel