Vince Lago hijacks Coral Gables ‘unity’ ceremony to make it about Israel

So much for unity.
After weeks of kumbaya talk, meticulous planning, and carefully-worded press releases, Coral Gables finally held its long-delayed “Interfaith Ceremony for Unity and Peace” Monday night. The city had spent nearly two months trying to find a way to honor the victims of October 7 without turning it into a geopolitical food fight.
And for a while, it looked like they’d actually pulled it off. Then, Mayor Vince Lago had to ruin it.
Read related: Coral Gables commission backs off Israeli flag at City Hall after backlash
About 75 residents gathered in the courtyard of City Hall to hear religious leaders and community members share sincere messages about peace, tolerance, and empathy. There were candles, songs, and even a reading of Palestinian poet and author Mahmoud Darwish’s poem “Think of Others.”
It was supposed to be a neutral, healing moment — the hard-won compromise after Lago’s original idea to raise the Israeli flag over City Hall split the community right down Miracle Mile.
But of course, Lago couldn’t resist the spotlight.
Despite the commission’s agreement that no political statements would be made by elected officials, the mayor took the mic anyway — and promptly broke the peace circle. “I stand shoulder to shoulder with the State of Israel,” Lago declared, as if the rest of the program hadn’t been carefully designed to avoid exactly that kind of speech.
He also thanked members of the Israeli consulate for attending, because of course he had an audience.
Cue the collective sighs and awkward shuffling.
Among those wincing was Jalal Shehadeh, a Coral Gables resident of Palestinian heritage who had helped organize the ceremony precisely to ensure all victims were recognized — not just those on one side. This was a day to remember all the victims of the war not just those killed on Oct. 7. That is precisely why the date was removed from the banner.
Shehadeh had been invited to read the poem, not to make a speech. But after Lago’s comments, he said what everyone else was thinking. “I also wanted to thank the city for allowing us to honor all victims, including the 65,000 that have been killed by the State of Israel since the war began,” he said, visibly shaken by the mayor’s impromptu little speech.
Mic drop.
Shehadeh later told the Coral Gables Gazette that he and his wife had worked closely with commissioners to ensure the event would truly be inclusive — “a ceremony for everyone’s grief.” They were stunned that the mayor spoke at all, much less turned it into another moment of political grandstanding.
Read related: City raising an Israeli flag causes fuss and fury at Coral Gables City Hall
But if you’ve watched Coral Gables politics for more than five minutes, you know this was inevitable. L’Ego doesn’t do “neutral.” He does photo-op diplomacy — the kind that looks great in campaign mailers and plays well with certain donors.
What was supposed to be a community’s shared moment of reflection became, once again, the Vince Lago Show.
And that’s a shame — because for about 45 minutes, Coral Gables actually had a rare moment of harmony. Christians, Jews, Muslims, and others standing together under the banyan trees, talking about peace.
Then, the mayor opened his mouth.

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