Dublin hotel cancels 70 rooms for antisemitism summit

"The Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin's Ballsbridge neighborhood canceled a group reservation for 70 rooms booked for delegates attending an international conference on combating antisemitism in the Irish capital, according to a senior representative of Ireland's Jewish community.

The incident was disclosed by Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, during a reception at the Irish Foreign Ministry marking the opening of the conference.

According to Cohen, the hotel initially accepted the reservation for delegates from the European Union's 27 member states but withdrew it after staff learned the purpose of their visit. Hotel management also reportedly asked whether the conference had any connection to the Israel Defense Forces, despite the gathering being an entirely civilian and diplomatic event with no military involvement.

The delegates traveled to Ireland for 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 during Ireland's presidency of the European Union, with its location in Dublin intended to underscore the country's commitment to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

The reported cancellation came against a backdrop of growing concerns within Ireland's Jewish community over antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel sentiment..."