Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave resigns over Israel ‘war crimes’ post
In one of his posts on 13 October, Cosgrave stated, "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."
The CEO of a prominent technology conference, Paddy Cosgrave, has resigned in the wake of a significant backlash stemming from public statements he made accusing Israel of committing "war crimes" and violating international law.
Paddy Cosgrave, one of the co-founders of the European tech conference Web Summit, which gathers numerous leading tech startups and companies in Lisbon, Portugal, decided to step down on Saturday due to criticism from sponsors and attendees.
He expressed that his personal views had become a "distraction from the event" and issued an apology for any harm he may have caused.
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Cosgrave, an Irish entrepreneur who established Web Summit in 2009, used the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) to comment on Israel's ongoing bombing campaign in Gaza.
In one of his posts on 13 October, Cosgrave stated, "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."
Two days later, he updated his tweet to also condemn Hamas's 7 October attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,400 Israelis, mostly civilians. He referred to it as "outrageous," "disgusting," and "an act of monstrous evil."
"Israel has a right to defend itself, but it does not, as I have already stated, have a right to break international law."
In a subsequent apology posted on October 17 on the Web Summit blog and shared on his X account, Cosgrave stated, "What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that... My aim is and always has been to strive for peace."
"I also believe that, in defending itself, Israel should adhere to international law and the Geneva Conventions - i.e., not commit war crimes. This belief applies equally to any state in any war. No country should breach these laws, even if atrocities were committed against it."
Despite these follow-up posts, key sponsors and event headliners, including tech giants Meta, Google, and Stripe, announced their intention to boycott the event.
Nevertheless, Web Summit plans to proceed with the November event while seeking a new CEO, as confirmed by The Associated Press news agency.
