(José Niño, Headline USA) A corporate landlord owned by one of Israel’s largest companies has intentionally displaced an estimated 30,000 American tenants while its parent corporation does business in illegal Israeli settlements that have driven thousands of Palestinians from their homes.
According to Thomas Birmingham of The Nation, American Landmark, a major corporate landlord with roughly 34,000 units concentrated in 111 complexes across eight Southern states, is now America’s 34th largest landlord.
A review by The Nation and Type Investigations of thousands of eviction records reveals the company files eviction notices at extraordinary rates. At Conrad at Concord Mills in Charlotte, American Landmark files evictions at nine times the national average.
The company’s CEO Joseph Lubeck confirmed that displacement is an intentional strategy in an interview that The Nation conducted with him. “When we take over a property, the first analysis we do is how much is the rent going to go up, and how many can afford to stay,” Lubeck said. “We typically raise the rent anywhere from $100 to $400, so some people are absolutely displaced.”
Based on company modeling, Lubeck said only “55 percent of existing residents stay,” while 45 percent “move out.” With roughly 70,000 tenants, that means around 30,000 people left their homes after American Landmark acquisitions.
These displaced American tenants share an unexpected connection with Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.
As Birmingham reported, American Landmark is almost entirely owned by Elco, one of Israel’s largest corporations. For years, Elco’s Electra Super Brand has done extensive business in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which drive thousands of Palestinians from their homes and are considered illegal under international law.
The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights cited Electra Ltd. in its database of over 150 companies doing business in settlements. Birmingham highlighted that in 2024, the American Friends Service Committee listed Electra among companies that “directly facilitate and enable human rights violations and violations of international law as part of Israel’s prolonged military occupations, apartheid, and genocide.”
Electra maintains deep ties to the Israeli military. Electra Power has been “the exclusive gas supplier of the Israel Defense Forces and the country’s Police and Prison systems services for many years,” according to the American Friends Service Committee. In 2024, during the Gaza genocide, Electra Power’s CEO said on an earnings call, “The IDF is a major client. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them in facing challenges and fulfilling missions.”
The Nation and Type Investigations identified at least 29 American Landmark properties where eviction filing rates exceeded twice the national average in early 2025. At Celsius Apartment Homes in Charlotte, the rate reached 82 percent. One complex in Houston recorded 70 percent, while another in Summerville, South Carolina hit 58 percent.
Tenants reported surprise fees totaling at least $150 monthly, including a mandatory $100 technology package, according to interviews The Nation held. When tenants fall behind on rent, American Landmark disconnects internet and cable while continuing to charge for these services, then adds a $75 reconnection fee.
By December 2024, two of American Landmark’s investment funds had distributed a combined $890 million to investors, including money sent back to Electra itself.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
