"Legal Complaint Filed in Germany Against Axel Springer Over Yad2’s Promotion of Illegal Land Grabs in 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. [...]

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. [...]