The Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin canceled a reservation for 70 rooms intended for delegates attending an international conference on combating antisemitism, after learning the purpose of their visit.
This was first revealed by Maurice Cohen, Chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, during a reception at the Irish Foreign Ministry.
According to Cohen, hotel management canceled after questioning whether the gathering was connected to the Israel Defense Forces, despite it being a civilian conference.
The European Jewish Congress called the incident "deeply disturbing."
"That a hotel would cancel accommodation for participants in a conference dedicated to combating antisemitism, while raising questions about supposed links to the Israeli military, reflects precisely the kind of prejudice and suspicion that such gatherings seek to confront."
"It is profoundly troubling that those working to combat antisemitism should themselves encounter such treatment. Jewish organizations and those standing against hatred must never face exclusion or discrimination because of their work."
The conference in question was the 15th meeting of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) Forum, organized by the World Jewish Congress in partnership with the European Commission, and convened as an Associated Event under Ireland’s rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Resetting the conversation between Jewish groups and governments
Jewish community leaders from across the world joined government envoys, representatives from international organizations, and technology company executives in Dublin from 12 to 14 October.
Leaders representing the J7 Large Communities’ Task Force Against Antisemitism, connecting the Delegación de Asociaciones Israelitas Argentinas (DAIA), Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), Canada’s Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), the Representative Council of French Jewish Institutions (CRIF), Central Council of Jews in Germany, and Board of Deputies of British Jews alongside the Anti-Defamation League and Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations from the United States, also joined the forum following a series of high-level meetings in London earlier in the week.
The gathering included a meeting with Ireland’s Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, visits to the European headquarters of TikTok and Meta, and other discussions.
“Our meeting in Dublin is a much-needed opportunity to reset the conversation between Jewish organizations, governments, and technology companies," said Maram Stern, WJC Executive Vice President. "Statements and condemnation of antisemitism only go so far. Practical solutions must urgently be put in place to protect Jewish life globally."
The delegates were officially welcomed by Irish ministers despite the current Ireland-Israel tensions.
At the start of Tuesday’s agenda, Ireland’s Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Colm Brophy said he was "very pleased to welcome Jewish community leaders" and was particularly happy to see that the event has a focus on AI and on the regulation of online platforms, given the "troubling increase in antisemitism and other forms of racism online in recent years."