Legal Complaint Filed in Germany Against Axel Springer Over Yad2’s Promotion of Illegal Land Grabs in Palestine
Berlin – November 27, 2024 German Illegal Land Grabs Palestine
Five Palestinian plaintiffs, along with the villages of Iskaka, Marda, and Taybeh in the occupied Palestinian territory, represented by the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC), have filed a landmark legal complaint against major German media publishing group Axel Springer S.E., alleging violations of German law on corporate due diligence obligations. The complaint accuses Axel Springer of contributing to land grabbing and human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territory through their Israeli subsidiary that operates the classified ads platform Yad2. According to JLAC, Yad2 facilitates the majority of real estate transactions in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, at a time when forced displacement, annexation, and Israeli settler violence have dramatically escalated.
The legal action, which is supported by Law for Palestine (L4P), the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD), under the Justice and Accountability for Palestine Initiative, signals a significant step toward holding international corporations accountable for their involvement in Israeli crimes against Palestinians.
Allegations Against Axel Springer
Drawing on investigative research first published by The Intercept in February 2024, the complaint alleges that Axel Springer failed to comply with German law on business due diligence. Specifically, the company is accused of facilitating the sale and rental of properties in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, through Yad2. Currently, Yad2 provides more than 5,000 offers of properties and plots of land in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, which is occupied and populated by Israel in violation of international law. This practice exacerbates and solidifies the forced displacement of Palestinians while reinforcing the unlawful annexation of their land. These activities must be viewed within the broader context of severe human rights violations against Palestinians.
The filing is made on behalf of Palestinian plaintiffs whose lands and lives have been profoundly affected by the Israeli occupation and settlement enterprise, deemed unlawful, inter alia, by the International Court of Justice in July 2024.
“Holding illegal settlements and all entities who facilitate their developments and expansion accountable, is essential for justice and peace. The Palestinian communities we represent in this case continue to suffer the dire consequences of Israel’s decades-long colonial expansion on their land, which amounts to racial discrimination and apartheid as the ICJ ruled in July 2024.”
Issam Aruri, JLAC’s General Director.
Legal Context German Illegal Land Grabs Palestine
This complaint aligns with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion of July 2024 on the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory. The ICJ explicitly reaffirmed the obligation of states to prohibit business activities that sustain Israel’s illegal occupation of the occupied Palestinian territory. The complaint against Axel Springer is seen as a first step to call on Germany, a UN member state, to fulfil these obligations.
Corporate Responsibility
The complaint accuses Axel Springer of violating the German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act, which since 2023 has required large German companies to address human rights risks in their supply chains and controlled subsidiaries. Public records suggest Springer actively manages its Israeli subsidiary that operates the Yad2 platform, failing to prevent its listings from facilitating land grabs that contribute to severe human rights violations, including violence, habitat destruction, restricted movement, as well as environmental harm. Some Palestinian complainants have already lost land, while others face imminent risk. They urge Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) to impose interim measures halting Yad2’s real estate listings in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and to fine Springer up to 2% of its annual revenue, citing a recent Yad2 advertisement explicitly supporting Israeli control of the entirety of the West Bank. This legal action demands Axel Springer takes care that its subsidiary removes the listings and ceases business activities perpetuating these violations.
“Palestinians are seeking to protect their land, the homes they live in, their existence with this very complaint,” “If BAFA establishes that Springer exercises decisive influence on the Yad2 business, I expect BAFA to order illegal listings of Palestinian land to be suspended or deleted from Yad2 within days. The German government has repeatedly stated that Palestinians’ sovereignty over their territory must be respected.”
Robert Grabosch, one of the German lawyers supporting the case.
About
Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC), is an organisation that has formed a specialised niche by providing legal aid to vulnerable communities confronting human rights violations. JLAC has established itself as a key player in addressing critical issues, handling pro-bono legal cases related to house demolitions, forced displacement, land confiscation, and settler violence amongst other cases.
The Justice and Accountability for Palestine Initiative is a Palestinian-led initiative composed of international legal practitioners and lawyers pursuing legal action against individuals and entities complicit in the crimes in Palestine and against the Palestinian people, including the genocide in Gaza. It is coordinated by the European Legal Support Center (ELSC), Law for Palestine (L4P), and the Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy (PIPD).
Press inquiries
– For general inquiries about the case [EN/DE/AR]: The Justice and Accountability for Palestine Initiative [email protected]
– For inquiries related to the plaintiffs and situation in Palestine [EN/AR]: Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Centre (JLAC) [email protected]
