Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell did not attend a Monday evening solidarity event held by the Jewish Federation of Greater Nashville at the Gordon Jewish Community Center in Nashville after Hamas terrorists attacked Israel over the weekend.
Governor Bill Lee (R-TN) spoke at the event and told the crowd of 700 people, “We have seen once again the persecution of the nation of Israel, but we will see once again the steadfast resolve of the people of this state and this nation to stand alongside the Jewish people and the nation of Israel.”
WKRN reported that Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti as well as several state legislators and Metro Council members were in attendance.
A spokesperson for the mayor’s office told The Tennessee Star in an emailed statement on Wednesday, “We distributed the following statement from the Mayor on Monday at the solidarity event hosted by the Jewish Federation at the Jewish Community Center.” (emphasis added)
Many of us in Nashville are concerned about and suffering with friends and family abroad in the path of armed conflict.
My prayers are with the people of Israel, with the families and friends of the dead; with the thousands who are wounded, hospitalized, and traumatized; and with the hostages who have been taken, including entire families, small children, and the elderly.
We’ve seen—and I’ve personally experienced—disgusting antisemitism in the past few weeks, and I will stand against hateful speech and actions wherever they exist.
My hope is for a lasting peace that reflects the togetherness so many of us felt in this past weekend’s Celebrate Nashville festival.
In the distributed statement O’Connell (pictured above) did not, however, speak out against Hamas terrorists, who as of Wednesday afternoon, are responsible for the death of an estimated 1,200 Israelis, including 22 Americans.
He also did not speak on the record about Israel’s right to self-defense or to strike back.
Mayor O’Connell’s distributed statement was not reported in any other media outlet, nor does it appear on the Metro Nashville website or as an official statement from the mayor’s office or on any of his social media, at least as of Wednesday evening.
A spokesperson for the mayor told The Star in an emailed statement that O’Connell, who was sworn in as mayor less than a month ago, “was out of town at a conference.”
Mayor O’Connell was apparently in Nashville long enough on Monday, however, to declare Tuesday to be Nashville Predators Golden Pride Day.
On October 30, 2018, while serving as a member of Nashville Metro Council, O’Connell tweeted a response to reports that President Trump planned “to sign an executive order that would remove the right to citizenship for children of non-citizens and unauthorized immigrants born on U.S. soil.”
“If there is American exceptionalism, it exists in the strength we have drawn from being a nation of immigrants. As the grandson of a Jewish immigrant who fled pre-war Europe, this factors into why I think it’s still important to #resist,” O’Connell tweeted.
If there is American exceptionalism, it exists in the strength we have drawn from being a nation of immigrants.
As the grandson of a Jewish immigrant who fled pre-war Europe, this factors into why I think it’s still important to #resist. https://t.co/Cuts7SrbXs
— Freddie O’Connell (@freddieoconnell) October 30, 2018
As reported by The Star on Wednesday, Franklin’s Mayor, Dr. Ken Moore, issued a statement on the ongoing conflict this week, condemning anti-semitism.
“Our hearts are broken by the terrorist attacks that took place in Israel over the weekend. At last count, hundreds were killed and thousands more injured,” Moore said. “What’s even more tragic is that so many of these victims were innocent women and children, with still many more kidnapped and missing. Our city grieves with Israel and the Jewish people as they deal with the aftermath of these horrific events.”
“While this took place thousands of miles away, it’s still a reminder to us here in the United States and right here in Franklin that hatred and anti-Semitism still exists in our world,” Moore added. “We have worked hard to be a community where people of faith are welcome and to promote unity in our community. We want to be clear that our city will not tolerate anti-Semitism or anything that fosters hatred or violence against any group because of their religious beliefs or ethnicity.”
He asked the Franklin community to join him in praying for Israel.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on X / Twitter.
Photo “Freddie O’Connell” by Freddie O’Connell for Mayor.
IRANs governing body & funder of Terrorism is chanting “Death to America”, but our leadership including this fricking coward for a Mayor, must be chanting with them.
Lying to the non-believers is a good thing according to the Koran.
HAMAS ( GAZA) & HEZBULLA (LEBANON) want all Americans dead. They are the Barbarians. They are Terrorists. Brave men would not attack innocent vulnerable civilians, decapitate 44 babies, rape & torture women & drag them through the streets bleeding from raping & sodomy of their innocent bodies. This was Mohammeds orders to the savages.
I hope Isreal reduces the Gaza strip to ashes. That would be God’s Justice. No Pity for Evil.
Freaky Freddie needs to let his taxpayers know whose team he is on. You’re either with me or against me. Silence is Complicity. Maybe you need to issue a new statement about the savage attack on the Israel citizens.
I just do not understand why the Jewish Community continues to vote for Democrats. Like Iran, they lie to non-believers They lied to Black’s in America for decades. They are the KU KLUX KLAN, which is basically the proxy to Dems just like the Hamas are to Iran.
I saw where Black Lives Matter has taken sides with Hamas. They should be labeled a Terrorist organization.
freaky freddie’s supporters include about 100% of the anti-israel folks in nashville, so im not surprised he is trying to play both sides.
“The Faker” is right. I knew Freddie was going to be a bad problem but he’s shaping up to be possibly the worst mayor Nashville has had since the Reconstruction.
As much as everyone hated Mayor McCheese, you’re gonna miss him pretty quickly with Sir Freddie now at the helm. Remember, elections have consequences.