Under pressure from threats and calls for a boycott, the Sonesta Hotel in Tennessee abruptly canceled a pro-Israel right-wing conference. The event was to host around 500 attendees and official representatives from Israel, promoting volunteer efforts in "Greater Israel" during the ongoing war.
After intervention from lawyers citing religious discrimination and antisemitism, the hotel management claimed police had advised them to cancel due to security concerns. However, Nashville police refuted this, stating that the hotel’s claims were false and that they had been invited by the hotel days before to assist with security preparations for the conference.
The police chief clarified that the cancellation was a "corporate decision by the hotel." Following the cancellation, the conference organizers, the Christian Zionist group "HaYovel," teamed up with conservative financial guru Dave Ramsey, who offered his company's event center for the conference free of charge.
The "Israel Summit" organized by HaYovel was scheduled to begin on Monday. Managed by American evangelicals, the group supports the concept of Greater Israel, focusing on recruiting Christian volunteers for agricultural work, such as grape harvesting in settlements. The organization gained viral attention in November after sending American cowboys to help Israeli farmers facing labor shortages due to the mass call-up of reservists following the October 7 terror attack.
Spanning three days, the summit was billed as "the first annual gathering of unconditional pro-Israel supporters asserting Israel's sovereignty over all its land, including Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza." The organizers described the event as an opportunity to show unwavering support for Israel amidst ongoing anti-Israel protests across America.
The conference was initially set to take place at Sonesta's popular convention hotel near Nashville International Airport. The hotel, which previously operated in Israel in Eilat and Jerusalem, informed organizers days prior that it had to cancel the event due to threats and boycott calls.
Organizers claimed the hotel told them a coordinated group of anti-Israel activists had urged people to call and email the hotel to "demand the immediate cancellation of the event." The organizers stated that due to threats from anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-Hamas groups, the hotel decided to cancel.
According to the organizers, hotel representatives told them during a phone call that the police had advised canceling the event due to security concerns. The hotel indeed issued a statement saying it had consulted local law enforcement and decided to cancel because the event "posed a significant safety risk to our staff, guests, and participants given heightened security concerns." However, Nashville police stated they "in no way advocated for the cancellation of the conference at the Sonesta Hotel."
The police chief emphasized that any contrary assertion is false, as is the claim that the police expressed concern about individuals being in physical danger. He confirmed that the police met with hotel management at their request to discuss the conference and assured them they were fully prepared to help the hotel develop a safety and security plan, as they would for any hotel in the city, offering additional support if needed.
The police acknowledged being aware of external messages urging the hotel not to host the event but stated that ultimately, Sonesta made a corporate decision to cancel. The police reiterated that they were not involved in this decision.
On Saturday, in what appears to be a settlement agreement between the parties, the hotel issued an apology for the cancellation: "The safety and well-being of Sonesta’s staff and guests are its top priorities," the statement read. "While Sonesta determined it could not host the 'HaYovel' event due to security concerns, it sincerely apologizes for the inconvenience this decision caused 'HaYovel' and its event participants in Nashville."
The hotel and the event organizers stated they are "committed to assisting affected attendees in obtaining refunds for relevant expenses. Sonesta respects all humanitarian and advocacy groups in their efforts to support people of all religions, beliefs, and backgrounds. HaYovel appreciates Sonesta's willingness to resolve this situation quickly and to the full satisfaction of the organization."
Meanwhile, the conference has been moved to nearby Franklin, home to Ramsey Solutions headquarters, the company of financial guru Dave Ramsey. According to the organizers, when Ramsey heard that the Nashville hotel canceled the conference, he contacted them and offered not only to host it but also to help expand it further.