A petition calling on the Hay Festival to drop its sponsorship agreement with Airbnb has been signed by more than 2,000 people.

The petition, by Palestine Solidarity Campaign Cymru, states that Airbnb “continues to list and profit from properties in illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem”, and that the settlements are “built on stolen Palestinian land and are illegal under international law.”

The Hay Festival announced its Room to Write scheme with Airbnb, a new literary award developed by Hay Festival, in partnership with Airbnb, designed to support UK-based writers at a critical stage in the creation of new books.

It comes after The United Nations formally included Airbnb in its database of companies linked to Israel’s illegal settlement enterprise. The petition states that Airbnb is “helping sustain a system of occupation, annexation, and the displacement of Palestinians” by continuing to profit from its listings.

The campaign to ask Hay Festival to part ways with Airbnb said in its petition: “The Hay Festival would never tolerate plagiarism. It should not tolerate land theft either.”

Julie Finch, Hay Festival CEO, said: "As a charity, Hay Festival Global operates a mixed‑funding model that includes sponsorship, grant funding, ticket revenue, memberships and donations.

"This income supports the ongoing viability and accessibility of the Festival, enabling us to celebrate literature, arts and culture each year, provide an international platform for intellectual and creative exchange, and widen access to ideas, creativity and debate.

"When Hay Festival Global is offered sponsorship or funding, we consider this carefully in line with our charitable purpose and relevant governance guidelines. In all sponsorship and funding agreements, the Festival retains full editorial independence."

The petition calls on writers, artists, festival-goers, and members of the public to speak out and urge Hay Festival to end its sponsorship deal.