PayPal does business in 203 countries around the world and is the default method of online payment for millions. But PayPal won’t serve Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank -- even though it has no problem providing Israelis living in illegal settlements with the same service.
As commerce all around the world moves to online payment systems like PayPal, this shocking discrimination is crippling the Palestinian economy and forcing some to move out of Palestine just so to feed their family.
Fresh off our coalition victory forcing Airbnb to delist vacation rentals in the illegally occupied West Bank, we are teaming up with local groups in Palestine to push PayPal to end its discriminatory practices in Palestine. Already, 170,000 SumOfUs members have signed our petition against PayPal, will you join them?
Tell PayPal to stop discriminating against Palestinians and offer its services to Gaza and the West Bank.
A new report by a Palestinian digital rights group, 7amleh, highlights PayPal’s failure to operate in Palestine and the repercussions for businesses, particularly on the Palestinian tech sector. The tech sector is one of the few industries that actually has the potential to grow under Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank. And there’s no substitute for what’s become a global standard for making online payments globally.
We have pushed tech giants to follow international laws in Palestine before. Just a few months ago, Airbnb agreed to delist vacation rentals in the illegally occupied West Bank. After 160,000 SumOfUs members like you signed our petition, we delivered your message to Airbnb biggest investor, Fidelity Investments, in 17 different cities around the world, as well as Airbnb's international and European headquarters. We even built a mock site where thousands of our supporters gave Airbnb one-star reviews for its listing on stolen Palestinian land that got us press hits all around the world.
SumOfUs exists to fight for corporate accountability around the world. We know SumOfUs supporters care about equality and justice all over the world, and in particular stand with Palestinians in their fight against occupation. If we apply the same pressure we applied to Airbnb, we can force PayPal to end its discrimination.
Palestinians deserve PayPal just like anyone else. Demand the service end its horrible discrimination.
Petition updated March 2019.
More information
7amleh. 19 December 2018.
MotherBoard. 13 September 2016.