Google Is Latest to Pull Out of Web Summit Over Israel Controversy

Stripe, a longtime sponsor, also confirmed it would not attend
Web Summit CEO Cosgrave criticized Western support for Israel

Google joined a growing list of companies and investors bowing out of the Web Summit after comments the event’s leader made about Israel earlier this week.
Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomberg

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By Mark Bergen

October 20, 2023 at 4:02 PM UTC

Updated on

October 20, 2023 at 7:18 PM UTC

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Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Meta Platforms Inc. have joined a growing list of companies and investors bowing out of the Web Summit technology conference after comments the event’s leader made about Israel earlier this week.

Google and Meta spokespeople confirmed on Friday that the companies would not be participating in the conference, scheduled for November in Lisbon. Google was previously listed as an event partner of the conference. Intel Corp. and Siemens AG announced a similar decision on Thursday after a raft of venture capitalists in Israel, the US and Europe pulled out of the event.