LONDON: US e-commerce platform Etsy is doing business with dozens of shops located in illegal Israeli settlements, a new report has revealed.
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 operating in 16 different localities that, as of July, are considered illegal by the UN and international law.
“Etsy doesn't just turn a blind eye to the shops listed on its site that operate in illegal Israeli settlements, it directly profits from them and even, in some cases, promotes them,” said Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now.
“It threatens 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 speculation.”
Most of the stores identified are located in the West Bank, including 14 in Ariel and at least nine in Ma'al Adumim, the two largest illegal settlements and frequent sites of conflict following expansion plans.
The report also notes that with hundreds of sellers listed simply under “Israel” without specific locations, there may be many more Etsy shops operating from illegal settlements.
Claire Provost, author of the report and co-founder and co-director of the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, explained that despite the “obvious connections” between hosts and venues, “those connections have so far flown under the radar and gone unchallenged.”
“Western complicity in Israeli war crimes is so pervasive that even Etsy, a 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 money-laundering charges if proceeds from illegal settlement companies are found to be flowing into Ireland's financial system.
A similar complaint involving booking.com filed in November 2023 is currently being investigated by the Dutch authorities.
The company said it disagreed with the accusations and emphasized that “there are no laws against posting listings in illegal Israeli settlements.” However, the outcome of the investigation may become a precedent for conducting operations in Israeli settlements.
In response to the findings, Etsy announced an internal review and said it is committed to “complying with applicable laws, including relevant anti-money laundering and sanctions laws.”
“By promoting business in Israel's illegal settlements, Etsy is aiding and abetting the war crimes of both the forcible displacement of the indigenous population and the displacement of civilians by the occupying forces into occupied territory,” said Neil Sammonds, senior campaigner for Palestine at War.
“Etsy's complicity extends to the crime of apartheid. He must stop these nefarious, illegal actions immediately.”
