United nations: United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, announced on Monday that she has withdrawn from participating in the Hay Festival, in protest against the organizers' partnership with the US company Airbnb, which continues to profit from listings in illegal Israeli settlements.
According to Palestine news and Information Agency, Albanese made her decision public through a post on X, expressing her concerns about Airbnb's ongoing operations in these settlements. She stated, "In light of the Hay Festival's partnership with Airbnb Inc., I, alongside Professor Eyal Weizmann, withdraw from the festival."
Albanese further emphasized that Airbnb's business activities contribute to a broader economic system that underpins occupation, annexation, and displacement in the region. She asserted, "Withdrawing is not disengagement - it is a refusal to normalize. Values cannot be conditional, and silence cannot be the price of convenience."
The current edition of the Hay Festival is taking place in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, United Kingdom, from May 21 to 31. It is recognized as one of the world's most prominent cultural and literary festivals, drawing participants and audiences from around the globe.