CEO apologizes for Israel remarks after 4 days of backlash and conference dropouts

• The founder of tech conference Web Summit apologized for "profound hurt" over his Israel remarks.
• Paddy Cosgrave accused Israel of war crimes in an X post on October 13.

The founder of European tech conference Web Summit has apologized for the "profound hurt" caused by his comments criticizing the West's support for Israel, which triggered several high-profile withdrawals from the event.

"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," Paddy Cosgrave originally wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Friday in response to Israel's attacks in Gaza following Hamas' terrorist attacks on October 7.

"War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies, and should be called out for what they are."

His remarks provoked public backlash, with tech figures such as Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan and Sequoia Capital investor Ravi Gupta pulling out of scheduled appearances at the conference, due to take place in Lisbon, Portugal in November.

Cosgrave initially doubled down on his comments Tuesday morning but made a u-turn hours later, issuing a nearly 600-word apology where he described as "Hamas' evil, disgusting and monstrous" attack.

"I understand that what I said, the timing of what I said, and the way it has been presented has caused profound hurt to many. To anyone who was hurt by my words, I apologize deeply," he wrote in a post published on Web Summit's website, four days after his original tweet.

Cosgrave added that he had tried to echo the sentiments of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken by urging Israel "not to cross the boundaries of international law" in response to the Hamas atrocities.

The fallout from Cosgrave's remarks shows the speed with which organizations, particularly a mass international gathering like Web Summit, can unravel when caught up in highly sensitive geopolitical debates.

For some founders, Cosgrave's apology isn't enough to bring them back to Lisbon next month.

Moshiel Biton, CEO and cofounder of rechargeable battery firm Addionics, was due to speak at Web Summit but told Insider that he was "in shock" when he saw the tweet from Cosgrave last Saturday because "he hadn't condemned the terror activity from Hamas."

"Paddy's 'apology' is barely one, and we stand by the decision to withdraw from Web Summit," he said.

Biton added that accusations of war crimes against Israel "before even offering compassion to the victims demonstrated much more clearly than an apology issued only after public backlash and mounting pressure."

Gil Dibner, general partner at Angular Ventures, said it was "a time that calls for moral clarity" after canceling his speaking engagement at Web Summit.

"I am glad to see so many industry leaders taking a firm stand against terrorism and against public figures who act as apologists for these despicable acts," he said, speaking before Cosgrave apologized.

After Cosgrave's original remarks, some Israeli tech figures contacted Web Summit's management to cancel their participation in the conference and did not hear back. But their names were quietly removed from the lineup on the website, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Dropouts increased, and within 24 hours the number of Israel-based speakers at Web Summit dropped from at least five to zero, according to Insider analysis. The website showed two speakers from Israel listed on Tuesday morning, but both confirmed with Insider they are no longer participating and that section of the website is no longer live as of Tuesday afternoon.

Asked about the quiet removals of Israel-based speakers from the site, a Web Summit spokesperson said: "Paddy's apology speaks for itself and he understands the impact of his words. We have a team of over 300 staff members who are working hard to deliver a world-class event for all of our attendees in Lisbon this year."

Other speakers lined up for Web Summit include Meta's Nick Clegg, as well as comedian Amy Poehler and actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The conference is expected to host around 70,000 attendees.

Since the October 7 attack, Israel has declared war on Hamas and launched an aggressive counter-attack, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to "demolish Hamas." Strikes have led to civilian deaths along the Gaza Strip and by the end of last week, the death toll in Gaza and the West Bank soared past 2,300.