Thu 15 August 2019:
Tel Aviv’s decision follows warning from Trump that allowing US congresswomen into Israel would show ‘great weakness’.
Israel has decided to block a visit by United States Democrat members of Congress Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely has said.
“The decision has been made, the decision is not to allow them to enter,” Hotovely told Israel’s Reshet Radio on Thursday, shortly after US President Donald Trump warned Tel Aviv against allowing the two Muslim members of his country’s Congress to visit.
“It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep Omar and Rep Tlaib to visit,” Trump said in a tweet on Thursday.
“They hate Israel and all Jewish people, and there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds,” he added.
Trump tweeted on Sunday that four congresswomen of colour who have been critical of his harsh immigration policies should just “go back” to where they came from
The US president last month had again targeted Omar, Tlaib and two other Democratic congresswomen of colour with racist attacks, saying the four politicians should “go back” to where they came from.
Tlaib, 43, who was born in the United States, draws her roots to the Palestinian village of Beit Ur al-Fauqa in the occupied West Bank. Her grandmother and extended family live in the village.
Omar, 37, who immigrated to the US from Somalia as a child, represents Minnesota’s fifth congressional district.
The two Democrats planned to tour the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. No date was formally announced for their trip but reports suggest they planned to visit this weekend.
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