Israel bans US Muslim reps
Israel yesterday barred two American Muslim congresswomen from a planned visit within an hour of President Donald Trump tweeting that ‘‘it would show great weakness’’ to let them in.
The two Democrats, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, were excluded because they support boycotts of Israel over its treatment of Palestinians, Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said.
They are part of a group of four congresswomen from ethnic minority backgrounds who refer to themselves as the Squad and who have been the target of criticism by Trump.
Two prominent American Jewish groups normally supportive of Trump’s Israel policy criticised the decision. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the American Jewish Coalition both said the congresswomen should have been allowed to travel.
Senior Palestinians voiced outrage at the ban, thought to be unprecedented for members of Congress, but in line with a 2017 Israeli law allowing the country to deny entry to supporters of boycotts.
Hanan Ashrawi, 72, an executive committee member of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, called the decision ‘‘an outrageous act of hostility against the American people and their representatives ... This is a dangerous precedent that defies all diplomatic norms and an assault on the Palestinian people’s right to engage with the rest of the world.’’
Somali-born Omar, 37, who represents Minnesota, and Tlaib, 43, who was born in Detroit to Palestinian parents, were told last month by Trump to ‘‘go back’’ to the ‘‘totally broken and crime infested places from which they came’’.
Trump has called the Squad ‘‘a very racist group of troublemakers who are young, inexperienced and not very smart’’. Omar last year tweeted that ‘‘Drawing attention to the apartheid Israeli regime is far from hating Jews’’ and this year tweeted ‘‘It’s all about the Benjamins baby’’ referring to $100 bills when suggesting a Jewish group was buying influence.
Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the US, said in July that the two congresswomen would be allowed to visit. However, speculation of a ban had been growing after it was reported last weekend that Trump’s opposition to the visit had reached the upper levels of the Israeli government. The announcement so soon after his tweet gave the impression of Netanyahu rushing to placate his close ally.
‘‘As a vibrant and free democracy, Israel is open to any critic and criticism, with one exception,’’ Netanyahu said. ‘‘Israel’s law prohibits the entry of people who call and act to boycott Israel, as is the case with other democracies that prevent the entry of people whom they see as harming the country.’’
Trump tweeted: ‘‘It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!’’
The pair were to set off this weekend on a private trip organised by a Palestinian charity to see Israel and the West Bank, where Tlaib has family.
They had also planned to visit Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah and Jerusalem, and join members of the Palestinian Authority at the Temple Mount, an important holy site for many faiths.
‘‘This is a dangerous precedent that defies all diplomatic norms and an assault on the Palestinian people’s right to engage with the rest of the world.’’ Hanan Ashrawi, Palestine Liberation Organisation