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:
The backlash was swift and severe.
The Israeli ambassador to Portugal also announced that Israel would not be participating in the summit, marking a significant diplomatic response to the controversy.
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.
Read more at Business Insider here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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