"Campaigns: Letter to PayPal Executives" 4 October 2021

...Since 2016, Palestinians and human rights defenders have raised concerns that PayPal is contributing to human rights violations and discriminatory practices against Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) by denying Palestinians access to PayPal’s platform and simultaneously allowing access to Israeli settlers illegally resiging in the oPt. We request that PayPal, as a global leader of online payment solutions, provide Palestinians residing in the oPt, i.e. the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip with access to the platform.

In its “Responsible Business Practices”, including the “Code of Business Conduct & Ethics” and the “Third Party Code of Conduct”, PayPal places compliance with applicable law, as well as the highest ethical standards, including environmental, labour and human rights, at the centre of its business practice. We regret the absence of PayPal’s same standards in the oPt, thus depriving Palestinians access to PayPal’s services and violating the most basic principles of equality including the prohibition of discrimination under international human rights law...

It further indicates an absence of human rights due diligence by PayPal, as stated in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), an authoritative framework for business responsibility and adherence to compliance with international law...

...We, the undersigned organizations, call on PayPal to adhere to international law, and PayPal’s own ethical values and standards, and bring to an end discrimination against Palestinians in the oPt by making its services immediately accessible. We urge PayPal to engage directly with Palestinian stakeholders, including Palestinian civil society, to work together for sustainable solutions that adhere to international law and business responsibility standards.