Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

50 minutes ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

5 hours ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

5 hours ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

5 hours ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

5 hours ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

5 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

5 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

6 hours ago
Israel Bars US Congresswomen - with Nudge from Trump
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 6 years ago on
August 15, 2019

Share

JERUSALEM — Israel said Thursday that it will bar two Democratic congresswomen from entering the country ahead of a planned visit over their support for a Palestinian-led boycott movement, a decision announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would “show great weakness” to allow them in.
The move to bar Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from visiting the close American ally appeared to be unprecedented, and marked a deep foray by Israel into America’s bitterly polarized politics. It is also a sharp escalation of Israel’s campaign against the international boycott movement.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued a statement saying that after consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials he decided not to allow Tlaib and Omar to enter because of “their boycott activities against Israel.”

Trump Says Congresswomen ‘a Disgrace’

The two newly-elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank.
Shortly before the decision was announced, Trump had tweeted that “it would show great weakness” if Israel allowed them to visit. “They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds.” He went on to call the two congresswomen “a disgrace.”


Israel has sought to combat the BDS movement, which advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israeli businesses, universities and cultural institutions. The country passed a law permitting a ban on entry to any activist who “knowingly issues a call for boycotting Israel.” Last month, however, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

“This is not a surprise given the public positions of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has consistently resisted peace efforts, restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, limited public knowledge of the brutal realities of the occupation and aligned himself with Islamophobes like Donald Trump,” — Rep. Ilhan Omar
Supporters of the boycott movement say it is a non-violent way to protest Israeli policies and call for Palestinian rights. Critics say the movement aims to delegitimize Israel and ultimately erase it from the map, replacing it with a binational state.

Congresswomen Respond

Omar denounced the decision as “an affront” and “an insult to democratic values.”
“This is not a surprise given the public positions of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has consistently resisted peace efforts, restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, limited public knowledge of the brutal realities of the occupation and aligned himself with Islamophobes like Donald Trump,” she said in a statement.
Tlaib, whose family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank, where she still has close relatives, tweeted a photo of her grandmother and said she has the right to live “in peace & with human dignity.”


Israel said it would consider any request from Tlaib to visit relatives on humanitarian grounds.

Israel Regularly Hosts U.S. Delegations

Israel often hosts delegations of U.S. representatives and senators, who usually meet with senior Israeli officials as well as Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank.
The decision to ban the congresswomen could further sharpen divisions among U.S. Democrats over Israel ahead of the 2020 elections. Republicans have amplified the views of left-wing Democrats like Tlaib and Omar to present the party as deeply divided and at odds with Israel. Democratic leaders have pushed back, reiterating the party’s strong support for Israel, in part to protect representatives from more conservative districts.

In July, the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution against the BDS movement.
Tlaib and Omar have also been the target of repeated attacks by President Donald Trump in recent months, including a series of racist tweets on July 14 in which he said they should “go back” to the “broken” countries they came from. Both are U.S. citizens and Tlaib was born in the United States. The two are members of the so-called “Squad” of newly-elected left-wing Democrats, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.

American Jewish Organizations Object to Move

American Jewish organizations had objected to barring the two Democrats from entering the country. The American Jewish Congress said that despite Omar and Tlaib’s planned “propaganda exercise,” it believed that “the costs in the U.S. of barring the entry of two members of Congress may prove even higher than the alternative.”
Politicians and former diplomats also spoke out against barring the congresswomen from visiting.
Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro wrote on Twitter that the decision to bar their entry “harms Israel’s standing in the U.S., boosts BDS.”
Israeli lawmaker Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List of Arab parties, criticized the move, writing that “Israel has always banned Palestinians from their land and separated us from other Palestinians, but this time the Palestinian is a U.S. Congresswoman.”
Arthur Lenk, formerly Israel’s ambassador to South Africa, said barring Omar and Tlaib “would be sinking us deeper into U.S. domestic political quagmire.”


DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Trump Pulls Back 150 Guard Troops From Federal Duties in California

DON'T MISS

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

DON'T MISS

Fresno County Man Arrested for Suspected Arson Hours After Separate Wildfire

DON'T MISS

New California Environmental Rollbacks Could Boost Housing Projects in Fresno

DON'T MISS

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

DON'T MISS

Fresno Unified’s Embattled Nikki Henry Exits. ‘I Own My Mistake. I Won’t Let It Own Me.’

DON'T MISS

Trump Floats Daughter-in-Law Lara Trump for Senate Run in North Carolina

DON'T MISS

Google Hit With $314 Million US Verdict in Cellular Data Class Action

DON'T MISS

Tulare County Wildfire Prompts Advisory in Three Rivers Area

DON'T MISS

O’Brien Launches Fresno County Schools Chief Campaign by Handing Out ‘Homework’

UP NEXT

Trump Says Israel Has Agreed to Conditions to Finalize 60-Day Gaza Ceasefire

UP NEXT

Iran Made Preparations to Mine the Strait of Hormuz, US Sources Say

UP NEXT

Trump Says US Could Reach Trade Deal With India, Casts Doubt on Deal With Japan

UP NEXT

France Shuts Schools, Italy Limits Outdoor Work as Heatwave Grips Europe

UP NEXT

Israeli Officials to Hold Ceasefire Talks in Washington Amid Military Escalation in Gaza

UP NEXT

Where Trade Talks Stand With Major US Partners Ahead of Tariffs-Hike Deadline

UP NEXT

Suspect Identified in Ambush Shooting That Killed 2 Idaho Firefighters

UP NEXT

935 People Killed in Israeli Strikes on Iran, Official Says

UP NEXT

US Revokes Visas for Bob Vylan After Music Duo’s Glastonbury Chants

UP NEXT

Israel Acknowledges Palestinian Civilians Harmed at Gaza Aid Sites, Says ‘Lessons Learned’

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

50 minutes ago

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

2 hours ago

US Judge Blocks Trump Asylum Ban at US-Mexico Border, Says He Exceeded Authority

2 hours ago

Fresno Fire Investigators Seek Public’s Help in Arson Case

3 hours ago

CHP Officer Dies in Line of Duty After Medical Emergency While on Patrol

3 hours ago

From Victims to Perpetrators: Israeli Soldiers’ Nazi Comparisons and the Unfolding War Crimes in Gaza

3 hours ago

Downtown Housing Could Rise in Many California Cities, but Barriers Remain

3 hours ago

Bryan Kohberger to Plead Guilty to Murders of Four Idaho Students

4 hours ago

Dear Mayor and City Council, Fresno’s Housing Bottlenecks Are a Modern Form of Redlining

4 hours ago

Iran Enacts Law Suspending Cooperation With UN Nuclear Watchdog

4 hours ago

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

Del Monte Foods wants to find a buyer as the produce giant enters Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid lagging canned goods sales. The 139-year-old co...

9 minutes ago

9 minutes ago

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

32 minutes ago

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken May 6, 2025. (Reuters File)
43 minutes ago

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

50 minutes ago

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

2 hours ago

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

A drone view of the Rio Grande River between Mexico and the United States in Presidio County, Texas, U.S., February 24, 2025. (Reuters File)
2 hours ago

US Judge Blocks Trump Asylum Ban at US-Mexico Border, Says He Exceeded Authority

Fresno Fire officials are seeking help identifying a person of interest after a Thursday, June 26, 2025, house fire near Shields and Valentine was ruled arson. (Fresno FD)
3 hours ago

Fresno Fire Investigators Seek Public’s Help in Arson Case

A California Highway Patrol officer died early Wednesday, July 2, 2025, after a suspected medical emergency caused his patrol vehicle to crash in Los Angeles. (CHP)
3 hours ago

CHP Officer Dies in Line of Duty After Medical Emergency While on Patrol

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend