There is no way for a business or individual to confirm or deny culpability in such atrocity crimes or other serious human rights violations. This authority rests with the state or international agencies and courts. What individuals and businesses can do is create policy and guidelines for their business premises that denounce these crimes and provide no space for their perpetrators (just as they often have no-tolerance policies for racism or violence). This in turn creates a wider consensus for accountability. 

No. The Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) calls for accountability based on complicity, not identity. It is a documented fact that perpetrators of genocide in Gaza include dual citizens, as well as foreign mercenaries contracted by the Israeli military or in coordination with it. 

No. By denying services and safe haven to suspected genocidaires and war criminals out of caution, your business will be upholding international law. There is no question of discrimination here as your policy is not targeting any particular national, ethnic, religious or other group. While we always recommend consultation with experts in local law, the question there is the form and appropriate language of your messaging and not the message itself.

That said, it is possible that suspected war criminals, extremists and their lobby groups try to exert pressure on businesses taking a stance. This is why we recommend building networks among such conscientious businesses, as numbers bring strength and might also incentivize expressions of solidarity by more businesses. 

Sign our Sanctuaries of Peace pledge.

Endorsing this pledge connects you to us and other businesses taking the same stance worldwide. Currently it is being shared privately, but we will make this pledge public, based on prior consent of signatories, once it gathers 200+ signatures. Being part of the Sanctuaries of Peace (SoP) network will ensure access to information, support and being part of a wider community of ethical businesses.

The language of this text is rooted in the universal human rights framework and connects solidarity with Palestine to other fundamental ethical values especially with respect to the tourism and hospitality sector, thereby enabling the expression of solidarity for Palestine while also integrating it with a broader discourse. The language of this pledge has been carefully developed with international law experts. It has a flexible approach in that it does not expect endorsing businesses to make themselves public, and the language of the pledge is broad so as to not single out Palestine solidarity. Signing this pledge does not obligate you to make your endorsement public.

Following this initial connection once you endorse the pledge, we can work together to explore the next steps, some of which include:

• Join the Apartheid Free Zones (AFZ) network:
  A growing number of hospitality and tourism businesses are signing up to become Apartheid Free Zones– spaces that end their ties with Israeli oppression and commit to supporting the Palestinian-led global BDS movement. The global AFZ network includes social, cultural and commercial spaces, unions, public institutions and more, as you can see on our map.
• Join networks of hospitality businesses in your region:
  Groups such as Hosts for Palestine are mobilizing as Airbnb hosts to pressure the company to end complicity in Israel’s illegal settlement project. This is one example of region and company specific networks, many more of which are growing across the world. There also are networks and cooperatives of hospitality establishments that promote ethical tourism such as Fairbnb and Ecobnb. 
• Booking.com / Airbnb platforming:
  If your business is registered with monopolistic online corporate aggregators and platforms such as Booking.com and Airbnb which have ongoing complicity in Israeli war crimes and you cannot viably switch to a more ethical platform any time soon, we recommend using your post-booking confirmation email to express your pro-Palestinain solidarity. This email, which usually explains logistical information and house rules, can include a short message affirming your position, which would welcome guests from diverse backgrounds while deterring alleged war criminals. We can share samples for this. 
• Request background clarification: 
  Find a model form requesting background clarification from guests in our toolkit, to ensure they have not participated in committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide. This has been prepared and made popular by Wind Villa, a hostel in Kyoto, Japan.
  We can support establishments in expressing their solidarity through media and/or social media output, while also helping you connect with businesses taking a similar stance. You are also welcome to use the campaign logo and/or choose stickers/banners from a growing collection of campaign artwork. 
  We would also like to highlight that hospitality establishments that have made their stance have received many positive reviews BECAUSE of their position and have customers coming to them because they want to stay in a place that does not welcome war criminals and genocidaires. 

The BDS movement works with partners on strategies that take into account local dynamics as opposed to blanket calls. We recognize the power dynamics of the hospitality industry, especially the way corporate platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com control access and outreach for hotels and B & Bs. We call on travellers to pressure these companies, and boycott when they can. However, when it comes to businesses, we encourage you to mobilize with other businesses to pressure these platforms into ending their complicity as well as refraining from retaliating against establishments and their employees for expressing solidarity with Palestine and upholding international law.

Please explore our toolkit for the No Room for Genocide campaign for more ideas and information.