Paris, France – Several technology industry leaders have decided to boycott one of the sector’s biggest annual events after the organizer criticized Israel’s actions following the Hamas attacks.
Paddy Cosgrave, an Irish entrepreneur and co-founder of the Web Summit, wrote on social media platform X last week that he was “shocked at the rhetoric and actions of so many Western leaders & governments”.
“War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are,” Cosgrave wrote on October 13.
The Palestinian group killed, mutilated and burned more than 1,400 people in its raid in Israel from Gaza on October 7.
Israel has responded with withering air strikes that have killed more than 3,000 people while imposing a siege on Gaza and deploying tens of thousands of troops in preparation for a ground offensive.
The Web Summit is due to host some 2,300 startups and more than 70,000 people on November 13-16 in Lisbon.
But one summit headliner, Garry Tan, head of California’s Y Combinator, said he would no longer go.
“I refuse to appear at Web Summit and am canceling my appearance,” he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “I condemn Hamas and pray for peace for the Israeli and Palestinian people.”
David Marcus, a former Paypal president and head of cryptocurrencies at Facebook, and Ori Goshen, co-CEO of Israeli artificial intelligence firm AI21 Labs, also withdrew from the conference.
“We at AI21 cannot be part of such indecency and moral bankruptcy,” Goshen, who was supposed to give a keynote address, said on LinkedIn.
Dor Shapira, Israel’s ambassador to Portugal, wrote on LinkedIn that he told the mayor of Lisbon that his country would not participate in the Web Summit “due to the outrageous statements made by the conference CEO Paddy Cosgrave.”
“Dozens of companies have already canceled their participation in this conference, and we encourage more to do so,” he added.
Cosgrave issued an apology on Tuesday.
“I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologize deeply,” he said.
“What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that,” the statement said.
Cosgrave said he “unreservedly” condemns Hamas’ “evil, disgusting and monstrous” attack on Israel on October 7 and “unequivocally” supports Israel’s “right to exist and to defend itself.”
He also said that Israel should adhere to the Geneva Conventions, “ie, not commit war crimes.”