Amid outcry, US congresswomen slam Israel’s move to deny entry

United States congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar have called Israel’s decision to bar them from entering the country before a planned visit to the occupied West Bank “a sign of weakness” and “an insult to democratic values”. “The decision by Israel to bar her granddaughter, a US Congresswoman, is a sign of weakness because the truth of what is happening to Palestinians is frightening.” For her part, Omar called Israel’s decision “chilling”, adding, however, that it came as no surprise given the policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of US President Donald Trump who earlier on Thursday had called Israel to not let his two compatriots and congresswomen in. The President’s statements about the Congresswomen are a sign of ignorance and disrespect, and beneath the dignity of the Office of the President.” 190815141055456 Echoing Pelosi, US Senator Bernie Sanders said in a tweet: “Banning Congresswomen Omar and Tlaib from entering Israel and Palestine is a sign of enormous disrespect to these elected leaders, to the United States Congress, and to the principles of democracy.” “The Israeli government should reverse this decision and allow them in,” he added. ‘Assault on Palestinian rights’ Miftah, the Palestinian group cosponsoring the trip, described the decision as “an assault on the Palestinian people’s right to reach out to decision-makers and other actors from around the world.” “Like all prolific human rights abusers, Israel wants to impose a blackout on the reality in occupied Palestine and prevent Congresswomen Tlaib, Omar from having direct contact with the Palestinian people, who are subject to Israel’s cruel regime of colonisation, oppression, and land grab,” it said. “We also believe every member of Congress should be able to visit and experience our democratic ally Israel firsthand.” Meanwhile, Trump followed up his initial tweet with another to say: “Representatives Omar and Tlaib are the face of the Democrat Party, and they hate Israel!” US ambassador to Israel David Friedman supported Tel Aviv’s decision in a statement, saying that the “Israel properly has enacted laws to bar entry of BDS activists … has every right to protect its borders against those activists in the same manner as it would bar entrants with more conventional weapons,” he said, adding that the planned visit “is nothing more than an effort to fuel the BDS engine.”