Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave Resigns amid Controversy over Criticism of Israel

Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave has stepped down from his position following a storm of controversy stirred by his remarks on Israel and Hamas.

Business Insider reports that Paddy Cosgrave, the CEO of Web Summit, one of Europe’s most significant tech events, has resigned with immediate effect. His departure comes in the wake of contentious comments he made about Israel, which led to a significant backlash from the tech community and resulted in several major companies withdrawing their participation from the upcoming conference.

The controversy began with Cosgrave’s comments on Israel’s response to the Hamas terror attack:

I’m shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments, with the exception in particular of Ireland’s government, who for once are doing the right thing. War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are.

— Paddy Cosgrave (@paddycosgrave) October 13, 2023

The backlash was swift and severe.

I refuse to appear at Web Summit and am canceling my appearance.

I condemn Hamas and pray for peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people. https://t.co/0m2DiDsRJI pic.twitter.com/dkyCuwuJfi

— Garry Tan 陈嘉兴 — e/acc (@garrytan) October 16, 2023

The Israeli ambassador to Portugal also announced that Israel would not be participating in the summit, marking a significant diplomatic response to the controversy.

Today, I wrote to the Mayor of Lisbon informing him that #Israel will not participate in the @WebSummit conference due to the outrageous statements made by the conference CEO, Paddy Cosgrave.
Even during these difficult times, he is unable to set aside his extreme political…

— Dor Shapira🇱🇵🇹 (@ShapiraDor) October 16, 2023

Cosgrave’s comments, which criticized Israel’s response to Hamas terrorist attacks, were met with swift and widespread criticism. “Unfortunately, my personal comments have become a distraction from the event, and our team, our sponsors, our startups and the people who attend. I sincerely apologize again for any hurt I have caused,” Cosgrave said in a statement.

The fallout from his remarks was immediate and substantial. Major industry players, including tech giants Intel and Siemens, pulled out of the conference, practically a death blow to the event. Cosgrave had initially issued an apology, expressing his unequivocal support for “Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself.” He also emphasized that Israel should adhere to international laws and the Geneva Conventions.

Despite Cosgrave’s apology, pressure remained on the conference for change, eventually resulting in the CEO stepping down from the organization over the weekend.

The Web Summit, scheduled to unfold in Lisbon from November 13 to 16, is expected to attract around 70,000 delegates. Despite the controversy, the conference is set to proceed as planned, with a new CEO to be appointed as swiftly as possible.

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