by Samantha Libreri, RTE
The President of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland has accused a Dublin hotel of antisemitism after he said they cancelled 70 rooms reserved for delegates attending a conference combating antisemitism in the capital.
Maurice Cohen said that the Herbert Park Hotel in Ballsbridge had last spring accepted the group booking for those attending the SECCA Conference organised by the World Jewish Congress.
However, when Mr Cohen met with the hotel he said he was asked what the SECCA conference was and if it involved the Israeli Defence Forces.
He said he told the hotel SECCA was a meeting of global Jewish community leaders and government appointed officials, most of whom are not Jewish, but who are responsible for combating antisemitism.
He said a representative of the hotel said they would have to consult with the owners to determine if the booking could be accepted and that the hotel subsequently cancelled the booking.
The conference, which was taking place here as part of Ireland’s Presidency of the EU, was held in another hotel venue in Dublin yesterday and the delegates were accommodated at a separate hotel.
The Herbert Park Hotel has not responded to a request for comment.
Chief Rabbi Yoni Wieder said it is possible that decisions to cancel bookings may be down to a desire to avoid controversy, as opposed to an objection to a specific conference.
“It’s not the first time that a booking made by a Jewish organisation in Dublin has been cancelled. I think we’re seeing more cases of people or businesses being reluctant to be associated with Jewish events, simply because they’re worried about the controversy it might attract.