Israeli officials have decided to block U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from entering the country as part of a planned visit, a reversal that comes amid pressure from President Trump and concerns about their support for boycotts of Israel.
The move prompted a massive outcry from Democratic lawmakers in Washington, but the Israeli government staunchly defended the decision — suggesting the lawmakers had ulterior motives with the planned trip.
HOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY OKS RESOLUTION OPPOSING ISRAEL BOYCOTT IN RARE BIPARTISAN VOTE
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, explaining the decision at length on his office’s Twitter account, said that Tlaib and Omar’s itinerary “revealed that they planned a visit whose sole objective is to strengthen the boycott against us and deny Israel’s legitimacy.”
Netanyahu said their travel plans referred to a trip to “Palestine,” not Israel, and the congresswomen were not interested in meeting with Israeli officials. He went on to note that the Palestinian organization that planned the visit, MIFTAH, supports the boycott movement, and that people associated with the group have supported terror against Israel in the past.
He said Israel welcomes critics with the exception of those who support boycotts of the Jewish State.
The decision itself was made by Interior Minister Arye Deri and announced earlier Thursday by deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely, despite prior assurances that the congresswomen would be allowed in. – READ MORE