This story begins two years ago in the Santa Monica Shangri La Hotel. A Jewish group decided to hold an event at the hotel, but 90 minutes into the event the hotel’s manager announced he decided to oust them and remove the signs referring to the event.

According to the report appearing in the daily HaMevaser, 18 Jews who were participating in that event filed suit, and a Los Angeles Court has ordered the hotel to compensate the victims to the tune of $1.2 million. Hotel management has expressed sorrow over the event, adding they are also going to contribute a “sizable sum” to Jewish victims of terror. The announcement has resulted in the cancelation of a protest planned by Jewish groups outside the hotel following the court’s ruling this week.

Some of the plaintiffs were quoted as saying that when hotel management learned the group being hosted was Jewish, the order was given to “throw the Jews out”. The defense tried to argue the issue was the lack of proper coordination with the hotel for the event and not the ethnicity of the group.

Nevertheless, the jury decided the hotel was at fault and the managers acted in a discriminatory fashion and were guilty as charged.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)