- Paddy Cosgrave resigned after drawing criticism for his accusations in public.
- He went on to say that while Israel is entitled to self-defense, it is not entitled to flout international law.
- Several journalists have been suspended or fired for writing articles that either support the Palestinian cause or criticize Israel.
Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave resigned after drawing criticism for his accusations in public that Israel was committing “war crimes” and violating international law.
With over 4,400 Palestinians killed and much of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed by Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign, Cosgrave, an Irish entrepreneur and the founder of Web Summit in 2009, voiced his opinions on social media. Except for Ireland’s government, which was, for once, acting morally, he expressed shock at the words and deeds of many Western leaders and governments.
Web Summit CEO
Afterward, Cosgrave changed his tweet to denounce the 1,400 Israelis—mostly civilians—that were slain by Hamas during their attack on Israel on October 7. He went on to say that while Israel is entitled to self-defense, it is not entitled to flout international law.
Cosgrave later issued an apology, saying, “I did not convey that compassion is needed at this time. My goal has always been to work toward world peace.” Additionally, he thought that rather than committing war crimes, Israel ought to abide by the Geneva Conventions and international law.
As they look to hire a new CEO, Web Summit intends to carry out the November event. As many professionals and students encounter criticism for their public opinions regarding the Israel-Hamas conflict, there is a professional blowback.
Many corporate leaders have promised to exclude Harvard students who are affiliated with organizations that signed a letter accusing Israel of being behind the most recent wave of violence. Meanwhile, several journalists have been suspended or fired for writing articles that either support the Palestinian cause or criticize Israel.
The US business leaders’ remarks and the backlash against the students were condemned by the Council on American-Islamic Relations as they “lack any meaningful display of sympathy toward Palestinian civilians.”
According to the organization, these responses are isolating Palestinians and those who advocate for Palestinian human rights at work, and they are making them afraid to talk about how the conflict has affected them for fear of repercussions.
