“As governor, I have an obligation to oppose policies that unfairly target Israel,” DeSantis wrote on his Twitter account. “Once @Airbnb ended their discriminatory policy toward Israel, we decided to remove them from the @FloridaSBA Scrutinized Companies List.”
As Governor, I have an obligation to oppose policies that unfairly target Israel. Once @Airbnb ended their discriminatory policy toward Israel, we decided to remove them from the @FloridaSBA Scrutinized Companies List.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 4, 2019
Florida sanctioned the global vacation website in January after it announced a decision to boycott West Bank settlements.
The state was able to make the move because, according to Florida law, any company that engages in Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) actions can be placed on the Scrutinized Companies List. The state of Florida is prohibited from investing in publicly traded companies on that list or contracting with them for services. But such companies can still engage in commercial activities in the state.
In April, Airbnb announced it would back off of its plan to remove Jewish rentals in Judea and Samaria from its rental listings, to end lawsuits brought by hosts and potential hosts.
Likewise, Israeli lawyers filed a class action suit against Airbnb in November immediately after it said it planned to remove listings of Jewish homes in Judea and Samaria, “that are at the core of the dispute between Israelis and Palestinians.”