A Dublin hotel has reportedly withdrawn a reservation for 70 rooms intended for delegates attending an international conference on combating antisemitism after questioning whether the gathering was linked to the IDF.

Maurice Cohen, chairman of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland, revealed the incident at a reception hosted by Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs to mark the opening of the conference.

The hotel involved was reportedly the Herbert Park Hotel in Dublin’s Ballsbridge neighborhood. According to Cohen, the booking had initially been accepted before being canceled after hotel staff learned more about the purpose of the delegates’ visit and asked whether the event had an IDF connection.

The delegates were in Ireland for the 15th meeting of the Special Envoys and Coordinators Combating Antisemitism (SECCA), held October 12–14 as part of Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Titled “Tackling Antisemitism in the Digital Age,” the conference brought together representatives from the EU’s 27 member states to address the growing challenge of antisemitism, particularly online.

The gathering focused on ways to strengthen cooperation between governments and Jewish communities, the role of technology companies in countering antisemitic content, and the impact of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies on both the spread of antisemitism and efforts to support Jewish life.

Participants included government officials, antisemitism envoys, Jewish community representatives, technology industry figures and civil society organizations.

Cohen’s account has raised questions about why a conference devoted to combating antisemitism would reportedly face difficulties securing accommodation after organizers were asked about a possible connection to the IDF, despite the event’s diplomatic and civilian focus.