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Netanyahu Stands up to Omar and Tlaib
At least someone has decided to stand up to Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israel agenda. It’s clear that our Congress will not.
Last month, a visit to Israel by these two lawmakers had been approved. Just two days before the trip, however, both women announced that they planned to use the trip to promote the Boycott-Divest-Sanction (BDS) movement, an international effort to cripple the Israeli economy and delegitimize the Jewish state. When their agenda became clear, Israel enforced a law passed in 2017 which prohibits entry to those who promote boycotting the country. Foreign Minister Israel Katz spoke out supporting the ban–referring to their support of BDS, terrorism and minimizing the Holocaust:
‘Furthermore, the planned visit they have prepared is entirely aimed at provocation and incitement against the State of Israel, and not to study the State of Israel’s activities,’ he said. ‘A self-respecting state does not allow those who undermine its existence to enter its borders and continue incitement.’
Our Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman released a statement, which said in part:
The United States supports and respects the decision of the Government of Israel to deny entry to the Tlaib/Omar Delegation.
The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel is not free speech. Rather, it is no less than economic warfare designed to delegitimize and ultimately destroy the Jewish State. Israel properly has enacted laws to bar entry of BDS activists under the circumstances present here, and it has every right to protect its borders against those activists in the same manner as it would bar entrants with more conventional weapons.
Needless to say, Omar was not happy:
‘It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.S. government,’ she said in a statement. ‘Sadly, 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.’
In response to Israel’s offer to Rashida Tlaib for a humanitarian visa so that she could visit her family, she made this statement:
‘Visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother’s heart,’ she said in a statement. ‘Silencing me with treatment to make me feel less-than is not what she wants for me — it would kill a piece of me that always stands up against racism and injustice.’
Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y, who supports Israel, said that this action would damage public opinion toward Israel:
‘If Israel’s government hopes to win the support of American lawmakers across the political spectrum, then this visit could have been an opportunity to share views and make a case for why American support for Israel is so important,’ Engel said. ‘Instead, refusing entry to members of Congress looks like Israel closing itself off to criticism and dialogue. This decision will only strengthen the anti-Israel movements and arguments many of us find so troubling, further politicize support for Israel in the United States and ultimately play right into the hands of Israel’s enemies.’
This statement is ludicrous for many reasons. First, the Left in Congress has already been demonstrating its unhappiness with Israel and has only made lukewarm protests against Omar and Tlaib’s anti-Semitic and anti-Israel comments. Second, suggesting that Omar or Tlaib were the slightest bit interested in a dialogue with Israelis is delusional. Finally, Israel’s enemies will not be influenced one way or the other; they already condemn Israel.
* * * *
I applaud Netanyahu’s decision for several reasons.
He is demonstrating to the world that Israel will resist terrorism and its supporters in any form.
Israel is prepared to deny entry to anyone who supports the BDS movement.
Israel will resist the pressures from other countries that will criticize its actions.
Finally, the world should observe that those who condemn Israel and the Jews will not be ignored.
Maybe the members of Congress should note what it means to take a courageous stand.
Published in Politics
If Donald threatened Bibi to take an action — any action — that Bibi didn’t intend to take, Bibi would tell Donald to go get stuffed. He might be more diplomatic than that, but Bibi does not strike me as a wimp.
Exactly right, @percival! He’s getting too much flak to not be committed to the idea. And I don’t think Trump would even ask him to do that–respecting his right to protect his borders and all that!
I also want to add that Israel is constantly getting grief for nearly anything it does, even when the country does something positive. (Netanyahu has a lot in common with Trump.) It is clear to me that there is probably nothing Israel can do to get in the good graces with countries that criticize it. So Netanyahu might as well make a stand when he needs to, because he will be subject to criticism (as will the country) no matter what it does. When he gave up Gaza, they chastised him and destroyed greenhouses that existed on that land. Letting go of Gaza was not enough; they wanted all of it.
So Ilhan Omar wants to leave the United States to visit another country, if she can’t go to Israel, maybe she could consider a trip to Somalia. (I think someone recently suggested this, can’t think of who.) Maybe even an extended stay.
Works for me, @eustacecscrubb.
The real problem with the squad is that they learned to hate America while living in America.
Bibi rocks! I’d love to see Trump yank their passports.
“On what grounds?” you might ask.
How about on the grounds that we don’t need these women running all over the planet spreading their hate and lies . . .
Omar was right: It really is about the “Benjamins!”
What supposed moral high ground the two or their supporters might have had was blown up today by Tlaib, when she turned down the offer to be allowed to visit her grandmother on the promise she would not engage in any BDS activities.
The humanitarian aspect of Tlaib wanting to visit her 90-year-0ld grandmother, but was being blocked by Israeli officials, was defused by the Israeli offer that Tlaib first accepted, then (possibly after pressure from her supporters or handlers) rejected. Getting to reunite with family was super, super important … until she couldn’t do it unless she eschewed making the visit overtly political. Then it was suddenly “I’ll Skype you, granny,” since she decided a face-to-face visit took a back seat to promoting the BDS cause.
Anyone still trying to make the case about how awful Israel was for denying half the squad entry now needs to answer the question, if the entire trip wasn’t about pushing the BDS movement on Israeli soil, why did Tlaib decide she couldn’t even visit her family if she couldn’t push the BDS movement on Israeli soil?
Reading her most recent series of tweets is difficult – she is simply a repugnant individual. Congress has had some in its time, but phew. She’s launched herself well ahead of anything the old Klan members said or advocated. Is there a word below repugnant?
Precisely. It was all political, at the cost of disappointing her grandmother. Sad.
It would seem that Prime Minister Netanyahu is just helping these esteemed representatives live up to their convictions! They want to boycott Israel. “Great”, says Mr Netanyahu, “I will help you not come to Israel when you are supposed to be boycotting Israel! That way you can boycott Israel properly!”
He’s really just helping them to be strong. They should thank him for being so thoughtful as to prevent them from violating their conscience and inadvertently supporting Israel by going there!
Was this trip supposed to be on the taxpayers’ dime? If so, double good on him.
It is my understanding that in a (2nd??) letter, Rashid asked for a humanitarian exception to the rule so she could visit her grandmother and in the letter promised that she wouldn’t push the BDS agenda. When Israel basically said, “Oh, ok, then”
It was then that she went into her rant about how oppressive the conditions on her visit were.
Pure politics all the way
No it was funded by an anti-Israel group.
One of your best posts, Susan, maybe the best of all.
Americans voted these *ssclowns into office. Americans did that.
If anyone should be held to account, it’s the chowderheads responsible for putting them into office in the first place.
And yet, people still wonder why I espouse a much more limited government.
What is especially disturbing, @chriscampion, is that when they come up for election, they will probably be voted in again. I think someone is trying to run against Omar; he’s running as an Independent. I’m not optimistic.
I don’t know what all the fuss is about.
Their itinerary was to some place called “Palestine”.
Who cares if Israel denied them entry, they weren’t going there to begin with.
/Sarc off