'Not wanted': Irish hotel reportedly cancels 70 rooms reserved for antisemitism conference attendees

A Dublin hotel has been accused of revoking room bookings for an international event aimed at combating antisemitism, according to Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland. The event was linked to the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism Conference, which took place in Dublin earlier this year. Cohen stated that he and an event organizer met with representatives of the Herbert Park Hotel, including its general manager, on May 7 to explain the gathering and discuss arrangements. Organizers had received written confirmation that approximately 70 rooms were reserved for participants. During the meeting, Cohen explained that the event would bring together Jewish community representatives, diplomats, and government officials, many of whom were not Jewish. He said the manager’s demeanor appeared to change before she asked whether the Israel Defense Forces would be involved. "I was completely taken aback by that question," Cohen said. "I said, ‘What would the IDF have to do with a conference on antisemitism?’" Cohen said the hotel did not answer. The general manager told him she would need to consult the hotel’s owners before deciding whether the event could proceed. On May 8, one day after the meeting, organizers received an email stating that the hotel could not accommodate their "event." Two to three days after the May 7 meeting, organizers followed up by asking whether the approximately 70 rooms reserved for delegates remained available. The hotel then informed them that the rooms were no longer available and claimed they had automatically been released one week before the meeting. Cohen said the hotel never mentioned that during the discussion with management. Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, called the situation a disgraceful example of the very antisemitism the conference was organized to combat. Cohen described the experience as personal, having attended meetings, New Year’s Eve celebrations, and his mother’s birthdays at the hotel through her 93rd birthday. He questioned how quickly the word “Jewish” could change a conversation. The disputed hotel cancellation is the latest episode to raise concerns among Jewish leaders about antisemitic discrimination in Ireland. The country has no official state mechanism dedicated to tracking antisemitic incidents, leaving community organizations to document cases and prompting concerns that many experiences are never fully recorded.