Google, Meta And Other Tech Cos Quit Lisbon Tech Summit Over Organizer's Israel Remarks

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“War crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies and should be called out for what they are," the summit organizer wrote on X on Oct 13.

2023-10-21T16:39:33+05:00 News Desk

A Meta representative affirmed to AFP that the company will not be participating in the event this year.

An official from Google stated, "We will no longer have a presence at Web Summit."

Co-founder of the Web Summit and Irish businessman Paddy Cosgrave expressed his dismay at the words and deeds of several Western politicians and countries last week on the social media site X.

Cosgrave wrote on October 13 that "war crimes are war crimes even when committed by allies and should be called out for what they are."

According to Israeli sources, at least 1,400 people were killed when Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7. The majority of the victims were civilians who were shot, disfigured, or burned to death on the first day of the attack.

About 1,500 Hamas members, according to Israel, were slain in combat before its troops took back control of the region that was being attacked.

According to the most recent toll from the Hamas health ministry in Gaza, over 3,700 Palestinians—mostly civilians—have perished throughout the Gaza Strip as a result of constant Israeli shelling carried out in reprisal for the strikes by the Palestinian Islamist militant organisation.

Google and Meta have joined other IT firms and celebrities that have walked out, such as Intel, Siemens, US comedian Amy Poehler, and X-Files star Gillian Anderson.

Over 70,000 individuals and over 2,300 startups are expected to attend the Web Summit in Lisbon from November 13–16.

The boycott was first started by Silicon Valley businessman Garry Tan of startup investor Y-Combinator, and other well-known figures in the sector swiftly joined.

On Tuesday, Cosgrave apologized.

"I acknowledge that many people have been deeply upset by what I said when I said it, and how it was conveyed. I sincerely regret to anyone I may have offended with my statements," he stated.

The statement read, "What is needed at this time is compassion, and I did not convey that."

The "evil, disgusting, and monstrous" attack on Israel by Hamas is condemned "unreservedly" by Cosgrave, who also declared that he "unequivocally" supports Israel's "right to exist and to defend itself."

Additionally, he stated that Israel should "not commit war crimes" in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

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