Web Summit CEO resigns after apologizing for Israel-Hamas war comments

Paddy Cosgrave, the CEO and co-founder of annual tech conference Web Summit, has resigned from his post after coming under fire for his comments on the Israel-Hamas war, leading Big Tech guests like Alphabet, Meta and Amazon to cancel their attendance.

“Unfortunately, my personal comments have change into a distraction from the event, and our team, our sponsors, our startups and the individuals who attend,” Cosgrave said in an announcement on Saturday.

At the start of the week, Cosgrave took to social media to precise his personal opposition to Israel’s counterattacks in Gaza.

“To repeat: War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies & must be called out for what they’re,” Cosgrave said in a Monday post on X, formerly referred to as Twitter. “I won’t relent.”

His remarks triggered a flurry of cancellations from high-profile attendees like Meta, Alphabet, Amazon and others. This yr’s conference is scheduled for Nov. 13 to Nov. 16 and is about to happen in Lisbon, Portugal.

The day after he posted on X, Cosgrave issued an apology on Web Summit’s blog, saying he understood that the timing of his comments “caused profound hurt.”

“What is required right now is compassion, and I didn’t convey that,” Cosgrave said within the apology.