Nashville hotel threatened with legal action after pulling out of hosting Israel Summit

A hotel in Nashville was threatened with legal action in a letter on Monday, after it cancelled an upcoming pro-Israel summit that was scheduled for later this month.

Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel agreed to host the summit in January, but suddenly pulled the plug on the summit on Friday, citing security concerns, according to the Washington Times. The event was organized by the Christian ministry HaYovel.

"I am disappointed to learn that the Sonesta Nashville Airport Hotel has declined to fulfill its contract with HaYovel, a pro-Israel Christian ministry, just days before the inaugural Israel Summit in Nashville, Tenn., where I and fellow Christian and Jewish leaders planned to express our support and solidarity with Israel," National Religious Broadcasters President Troy Miller said in a statement shared with Just the News. 

He continued: "It is a sad day for our country when a peaceful, educational, and informative gathering can be sabotaged by activists and abruptly cancelled by the host venue on short notice. Whether this action sprung from corporate hostility or intimidation by hecklers, the result is that HaYovel has been denied a public accommodation due to its religious beliefs."

The event was expected to host 500 attendees over the three day convention, and 400 of the attendees had booked hotel rooms at the Sonesta hotel, which were also canceled without warning.

In refusing to host the summit after signing a contract with the group, the hotel violated Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Tennessee Human Rights Act, according to First Liberty Institute's general counsel Hiram Sasser.

“Failure to provide the written affirmation and fulfill the Contract may result in legal action against the Sonesta and all other responsible parties,” Sasser wrote in the letter. 

Sasser also claimed that he did not believe the allegations that the hotel was concerned with security risks because the organization was willing to supply additional security guards for the event.

“It’s really easy to make sure that there’s the appropriate level of security, which HaYovel did,”  Sasser told the Washington Times. “If they feel there’s a need for additional security, HaYovel was happy to work with the police department to add additional off-duty police officers and security.”

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.