Nashville Hotel Cancels Pro-Israel Gathering After 'Pro-Hamas Thugs' Threaten Violence

A pro-Israel gathering scheduled to take place in Nashville, TN next week was abruptly canceled by the hotel hosting the event after staff were inundated with threatening phone calls.

First Liberty Institute, a non-profit legal group, sent a letter to the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel urging it to fulfill its contractual obligation to HaYovel, a Christian ministry with a location in Israel, that was scheduled to hold the Israel Summit from May 20th-22nd.

The peaceful gathering was intended to educate Christians on fighting antisemitism and explain to believers their biblical connection with the Holy Land.

But according to HaYovel, "pro-Hamas thugs" began calling the Sonesta Hotel last week threatening them with violence for hosting the event. 

"On May 10th, after speaking with local police, the hotel leadership contacted HaYovel, notifying them that they were dropping their contract," said Luke Hilton, the marketing director for HaYovel.

"The police were concerned that the hotel, their guests, local businesses, and attendees to the Israel Summit would be in physical danger due to the threatening nature of the calls and messages they have received," he added.

Robert Stearns, pastor and founder of Eagles' Wings Ministries, says canceling the event is "like unto Nazi Germany." 

"[This] is something that will redefine our nation. It will redefine what it means to live in America," he said.

Stearns added, "It is a dark day for America but there is still hope. We can still turn this around but we are only going to turn this around if the Church wakes up and gets active and gets loud immediately. So please do so."

"Our constitutional right to assembly, our constitutional right to freedom, our constitutional right to free speech, our constitutional right to be guarded by our law enforcement for religious freedom...all of this is being canceled because Hamas thugs are speaking out and denying our rights as Americans to gather," he continued.

First Liberty's letter notifies the hotel that their decision to cancel the event is unlawful discrimination in a place of public accommodation. 

"Doubtless the threats or complaints you received were due to disagreement with HaYovel's religious beliefs concerning Israel and the Jewish people.  Whether your cancellation of the Summit was carried out due to your own hostility toward HaYovel's beliefs or serve as a heckler's veto for others, the result is the same.  You have denied HaYovel a public accommodation due to its religious beliefs," it reads. 

HaYovel has announced that it will move forward with its event "with heightened security, at a different venue" to "show these thugs that they will not be rewarded for their unconstitutional, hateful actions."

"Now, more than ever, it is important that America stands unconditionally with Israel, and that we publicly show that we cannot be intimidated by pro-Hamas thugs," reads a statement from the group. 

The Israel Summit is touted as "the first annual gathering of pro-Israel supporters who unconditionally support Israel's right to be sovereign in the entirety of the land of Israel, including Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and the Gaza Strip." 

Speakers include Member of Knesset Ohad Tal; former U.S. Congresswoman Micelle Bachmann; journalist Caroline Glick, Intl. spokesperson for Hebron Yishai Fleisher; President and CEO of the NRB Troy Miller; and many others.

CBN News has reached out Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel for comment. 

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