Paddy Cosgrave, CEO of Web Summit, resigns following backlash over comments made about Israel.

Web Summit CEO Paddy Cosgrave has announced his immediate resignation following the withdrawal of several major companies from the event. The companies pulled out in response to Cosgrave’s comments on Israel’s handling of the Hamas terrorist attacks. In a statement, Cosgrave acknowledged that his personal comments had become a distraction and apologized for any hurt he had caused. Initially, Cosgrave criticized Israel’s response, calling war crimes “war crimes,” regardless of the perpetrator. He later issued an apology for the timing of his comments but maintained that Israel should adhere to international law. The controversy led to numerous tech leaders canceling their appearances at the conference, including sponsors Intel and Siemens. Despite the upheaval, the Web Summit spokesperson confirmed that the conference would proceed as planned, with a new CEO to be appointed soon. The event, one of Europe’s largest tech gatherings, is scheduled for November 13 to 16 in Lisbon and is expected to host 70,000 delegates.