ISRAEL AT WARIntel pulls out of Web Summit after founder accused Israel of war crimes
ISRAEL AT WAR
Intel pulls out of Web Summit after founder accused Israel of war crimes
Intel and Siemens have both announced they will not take part in the event due to Paddy Cosgrave’s remarks about Israel violating international law and committing war crimes in its war against Hamas
Intel became the latest in an ever-growing list of companies and executives to pull out of Web Summit, the biggest technology conference in Europe, following remarks by the event’s founder about Israel violating international law and committing war crimes in its war against Hamas.
Paddy Cosgrave, the founder of Web Summit, posted a public apology on Tuesday after Israeli tech leaders said they would boycott his conference following a series of tweets in which he criticized Israel, stating among other things that “War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are”.
His comments prompted strong reactions from numerous leaders in the industry, including Adam Singolda, founder and CEO of Taboola, Assaf Rappaport, CEO of Wiz, and Ori Goshen, CEO of A21 Labs, as well as Ambassador of Israel to Portugal Dor Shapira, who encouraged companies to cancel their participation in Web Summit.
Intel, which is the biggest private employer in Israel, was also joined by German corporation Siemens, with the likes of Y Combinator’s Garry Tan, Sequoia Capital’s Ravi Gupta, and David Marcus also among the prominent names to have canceled their participation in the event that will take place in Portugal in November.
“To reiterate what I said last week: I unreservedly condemn Hamas’ evil, disgusting and monstrous October 7 attack. I also call for the unconditional release of all hostages. As a parent, I sympathise deeply with the families of the victims of this appalling act, and mourn for all the innocent lives lost in this and other wars,” Cosgrave wrote in his apology. “I unequivocally support Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself. I unequivocally support a two-state solution.”
Cosgrave added that “Like so many figures globally, I also believe that, in defending itself, Israel should adhere to international law and the Geneva Conventions – ie, 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.
“I have always been anti-war and pro-international law. It is precisely at our darkest moments that we must try to uphold the principles that make us civilised.”
