Irish hotel cancels 70 rooms booked for antisemitism conference

An Irish hotel reportedly canceled reservations for about 70 rooms booked for delegates attending an international conference on combating antisemitism after staff learned the purpose of the gathering, according to Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland.

Cohen described the incident at a reception hosted by Ireland’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday, during the 15th meeting of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA), a network supported by the World Jewish Congress and the European Commission.

The conference was held in Dublin, as Ireland holds the rotating presidency of the European Union during the second half of 2026.

According to Cohen, the Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin’s Ballsbridge neighborhood initially accepted the reservation but later questioned whether the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) was involved in the conference before canceling the booking.

The IDF has no connection to the conference, which is partly intended to demonstrate Ireland’s commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism. Ireland’s Foreign Ministry is among the event’s sponsors.

The hotel’s management had not responded to a request for comment by press time.

The reported cancellation comes amid a series of controversies in Ireland involving Israel and antisemitism. In September, a proposed boycott of scheduled soccer games between the Irish and Israeli national teams sparked an uproar. Other controversies have included the cancellation of a theatrical production dealing with the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on Israel and Irish public broadcaster RTÉ’s decision not to send a representative to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Last May, Margaret Connolly, the sister of Irish President Catherine Connolly, participated in an effort to run the blockade of the Gaza Strip. President Connolly declared herself to be “very proud” of what her sister had done.

Representatives of Ireland’s Jewish community have also spoken publicly about reports of widespread harassment of Jewish people in public spaces across the country in recent years.

On Tuesday, Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) U.S. Advisory Board Chair Arie Lipnick issued a statement welcoming the conference and praising remarks by U.S. Special Envoy Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun.

“The Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) was honored to participate in the 15th meeting of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) Forum today in Dublin, Ireland. We thank the World Jewish Congress and the European Commission for hosting this important gathering, and particularly commend the forceful remarks of U.S. Special Envoy Ambassador Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, emphasizing that European signatories must honor their commitments to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) accords," he said.

“Boycotting Israel while trading with the murderous Iranian regime or countries that oppress Christian minorities is an antisemitic double standard that violates those commitments and we applaud Ambassador Kaploun for publicly highlighting this hypocrisy,” Kaploun explained.

Lipnick also highlighted regional cooperation in combating extremism, pointing to the participation of a senior United Arab Emirates official.

“We further welcome today’s participation of H.E. Maqsoud Kruse, Envoy of the United Arab Emirates, Minister of Foreign Affairs for Countering Extremism & Terrorism, at the invitation of the U.S. State Department as a testament to the new horizons for regional cooperation that have opened under the Trump administration.”

He concluded by emphasizing CAM’s intention to continue working with U.S. officials on combating antisemitism:

“CAM is also deeply appreciative of being recognized as a trusted U.S. State Department partner at the meeting and looks forward to continued collaboration in the global fight against antisemitism.”