Ashton Kutcher shuts down Airbnb stage-crasher's protest over Israeli settlements

By Adam Bub|

It could've been a tense stand-off, but Ashton Kutcher diffused a tricky situation.

It could've been a tense stand-off, but Ashton Kutcher diffused a tricky situation at the Airnbnb Open 2016: A Festival of Hosting in Los Angeles on the weekend.

The 38-year-old actor was speaking on a panel when a woman stormed the stage to protest Airnbnb's listings in Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories.

Ariel Gold, a member of grassroots human rights organisation CODEPINK, urged Ashton to "use his power and influence" to pressure the holiday rental site to remove its listings in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

The crowd booed, which wasn't exactly the inviting approach. But former Two and A Half Men star Ashton, who is an Airbnb investor, took the high road and introduced himself to Ariel, shaking her hand and trying to speak with her.

"Let me explain to you something about what Airbnb means to me," Ashton said.

Ariel replied: "Let me first tell you what Airbnb is doing to Palestinians."

"Well you also don't have the stage," Ashton responded.

As the protester was removed by security, Ashton defended Airbnb and its founder, Brian Chesky, saying they're trying to "bring people together".

Image: Getty.

"[In a world that] doesn't discriminate against one another," he went on. "We can get to know each other intimately, and understand our collective narrative is a narrative for everyone, and that we all can belong in a world together without borders."

"I can appreciate that this doesn't happen seamlessly. I can appreciate that this doesn't happen easily. I can appreciate that where there is change, there will be a fringe case that feels objectified, but this company is about bringing people together, and about loving one another.

"You're welcome to a world where we all belong. And if you want to sit down and have a conversation about it, I'm happy to have that conversation with you."

Airnbnb has attracted controversy since it allowed around 300 properties in Israeli settlements to be listed since January 2016.

In March, an international coalition of pro-Palestinian groups demanded that Airnbnb take down its properties in the West Bank, putting forward a petition of 140,000 signatures.

Airbnb responded with a statement: "We follow laws and regulations on where we can do business."

