Bibi nixes West Bank trip by Muslim U.S. reps.,

Israel barred Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar Thursday from visiting the West Bank — and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cryptically claimed they planned to “hurt” Israel.

“Their intent is to hurt Israel and increase unrest,” Netanyahu asserted, without offering any evidence. “They were planning a campaign whose whole purpose was to strengthen the boycott and negate Israel’s legitimacy.”

As evidence of his claim, Netanyahu said the lawmakers referred to the occupied West Bank as “Palestine” on their itinerary and did not request meetings with him or other Israeli lawmakers as other visiting delegations usually do.

Omar (D-Minn.) denounced Netanyahu’s decision as an “insult to democratic values.” There was no immediate reaction from Tlaib (D-Mich.), who has family living in the West Bank.

The move came just after President Trump urged Israel not to allow the trip, claiming that they are antiSemitic without offering any evidence.

“They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds,” Trump tweeted.

Netanyahu scrapped the visit by the two firebrand critics even though the country’s ambassador to the U.S. recently said any member of Congress is welcome to come, The Washington Post reported.

They can be denied entry under an Israeli law banning proponents of economic boycotts of the country.

Netanyahu, who stressed Israel’s “great respect” for the U.S. Congress, is facing a difficult reelection battle next month in which he is seeking to rally far rightwing support.

Israel considered offering Tlaib the option of a limited family visit as a “special humanitarian” gesture, but it was not clear whether she would accept such an offer, which would presumably have excluded Omar.

Tlaib, a PalestinianAmerican whose extended family lives in the occupied West Bank, and Omar are the first Muslim women to serve in Congress.

The aborted visit poses a public relations test for Israel and Netanyahu.

Blocking the visit is a major black eye for Israel,