NEW YORK, May 25, 2026 (WAFA) – 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situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian Territory, Francesca Albanese, announced on Monday that she has withdrawn from participating in the Hay Festival, in protest against the organizers’ partnership with the US company Airbnb.

In a post on X, she said, "In light of the Hay Festival's partnership with Airbnb Inc., I, alongside Professor Eyal Weizmann, withdraw from the festival.”

She added, “Airbnb continues to profit from listings in illegal Israeli settlements, contributing to an economic system that sustains occupation, annexation, and displacement.”

“Withdrawing is not disengagement - it is a refusal to normalize. Values cannot be conditional, and silence cannot be the price of convenience," said Albanese.

The current edition of the Hay Festival is taking place in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, United Kingdom, from May 21 to 31. It is considered one of the world’s most prominent cultural and literary festivals.

T.R.