LONDON: A new report has revealed that American e-commerce platform Etsy does business with dozens of stores in illegal Israeli settlements.
The report, published jointly by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, Global Justice Now and War on Want, identified at least 44 Etsy shops in 16 different settlements that were deemed illegal by the UN and international law in July.
“Etsy does not simply turn a blind eye to businesses listed on its website that operate in illegal Israeli settlements, but the company directly profits from them and in certain cases even promotes them,” said Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now.
“In doing so, they risk complicity in war crimes, and the reality is that they are not the only company profiting from the human suffering inflicted on Palestinians every day. It is time to put an end to this shameless corporate greed for profit.”
Most of the shops identified are located in the West Bank, including 14 in Ariel and at least nine in Maale Adumim, two of the largest illegal settlements and frequent scenes of conflict over expansion plans.
The report also found that there could be many more Etsy shops operating out of illegal settlements, given that hundreds more sellers are listed simply under “Israel” without specific location information.
Claire Provost, author of the report and co-founder and co-director of the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, said that despite the “explicit connections” between the hosts and the filming locations, “these connections have so far gone unnoticed and unchallenged.”
“Western complicity in Israeli war crimes is so pervasive that even Etsy, the popular platform for 'feel-good shopping,' is linked to businesses in the settlements,” Provost said.
Etsy, which operates in Israel through its subsidiary Etsy Ireland UC, could face questions and allegations of money laundering if proceeds from illegal settlement deals are found to be entering the Irish financial system.
A similar complaint against booking.com, filed in November 2023, is currently being investigated by the Dutch authorities.
The company said it did not agree with the allegations and stressed that “no laws prohibit advertising in illegal Israeli settlements.” However, the outcome of the investigation could set a precedent for operations in Israeli settlements.
In response to the findings, Etsy announced an internal review and said the company is committed to “compliance with applicable laws, including relevant anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.”
“By facilitating business in Israel's illegal settlements, Etsy is supporting the war crimes of both the forced displacement of the native population and the relocation of civilians by occupying forces into the occupied territories,” said Neil Sammonds, senior campaigner for Palestine in the War on Desire.
“Etsy is also responsible for the crimes of apartheid. The company must immediately stop these abhorrent, unlawful activities.”
