Dublin hotel withdraws 70-room booking for anti-antisemitism conference, sparking outrage

A four-star hotel in Dublin, the Herbert Park Hotel, cancelled a previously confirmed reservation of 70 rooms for the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA) conference in May. Organizers, including former justice minister Alan Shatter and community leader Yoni Wieder, said the hotel offered no reason, later sending an email that blamed higher management’s decision and a supposed lack of credit-card details, which had not been raised earlier.

The cancellation forced the conference to find an alternative venue and was portrayed by officials as part of a broader pattern of antisemitic cancellations, referencing a prior National Concert Hall incident and recent diplomatic tensions with Israel. The chief rabbi called the episode a “disgrace,” and Jewish leaders highlighted 143 antisemitic incidents recorded in Ireland between July 2025 and January 2026. The hotel has not responded to requests for comment.