LONDON: A new report has revealed that the American e-commerce platform Etsy is conducting business with dozens of shops located in illegal Israeli settlements.
Published jointly by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, Global Justice Now, and War on Want, the report identified at least 44 Etsy stores operating in 16 different settlements considered illegal by the UN and international law as of July.
“Etsy isn’t simply turning a blind eye to stores listed on its site operating in illegal Israeli settlements, it is directly profiting from and even, in certain cases, promoting them,” said Nick Dearden, director of Global Justice Now.
“Doing so risks complicity in war crimes, and the reality is, they’re not the only company profiting from the human misery inflicted on Palestinians day in, day out. It’s time to bring an end to this shameless corporate profiteering.”
Most of the identified shops 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 sites of conflict following expansion plans.
The report also noted that with hundreds more sellers listed simply under “Israel” without specific locations, there could be many more Etsy stores operating from illegal settlements.
Claire Provost, report author and co-founder and co-director of the Institute for Journalism and Social Change, explained that despite “explicit connections” between the hosts and locations, “so far, these ties have gone under the radar and unchallenged.”
“Western complicity in Israeli war crimes is so pervasive that even Etsy, the popular platform for ‘feel good’ shopping, is connected 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 businesses are found to be entering the Irish financial system.
A similar complaint involving booking.com, filed in November 2023, is currently under investigation by authorities in the Netherlands.
The company said that it disagreed with the allegations and emphasized that “no laws prohibit listings 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 stated that it seeks to “comply 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 forced displacement of the indigenous people and the transfer of civilians of the occupying force into occupied territory,” said Neil Sammonds, senior campaigner on Palestine at War on Want.
“Etsy’s complicity extends to the crime of apartheid. It must cease these heinous, unlawful activities immediately.”
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