Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) on Thursday shared a photo of her grandmother, who lives in the West Bank, after the Israeli government announced that Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) would not be allowed to enter the country.
“The decision by Israel to bar her granddaughter, a U.S. Congresswoman, is a sign of weakness b/c the truth of what is happening to Palestinians is frightening,” Tlaib wrote in a tweet alongside the photo of her grandmother.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday defended his country’s decision to prevent the congresswomen from entering the country, but noted that Tlaib may still be permitted to visit her grandmother in the West Bank for humanitarian reasons. {mosads}
Tlaib, the first Palestinian American elected to Congress, joined Omar in blasting the move. Omar, who along with Tlaib was also one of the first Muslim women to join Congress, called the decision “an affront” and asserted that Netanyahu was implementing “Trump’s Muslim ban.”
In a statement, Netanyahu cited Israeli law that bars entry for those who support a boycott of the country. Tlaib and Omar have both supported a movement to boycott Israel.
“The two-member congressional visitation plan shows that their intent is to hurt Israel and increase its unrest against it,” Netanyahu asserted.
“However, if Congresswoman Tlaib filed a humanitarian request to meet her family members, subject to a commitment that she would not act to promote the boycotts against Israel, the interior minister announced he would consider this request,” he added.
The decision Thursday, which was condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, followed a tweet by President Trump in which he encouraged Israel to deny entry to the U.S. lawmakers, saying it would show “great weakness” for Israel to allow the lawmakers into the country.
The lawmakers’ Israeli visit had been scheduled for Aug. 18-22.