Saying it would hurt Israel, stir unrest
which likes to portray itself as an open-minded bastion of democracy and tolerance in a troubled region.
It is also be a huge embarrassment to pro-Israel Democrats, who are increasingly isolated within the party, and could become an issue on the presidential campaign trail.
“Israel [is] showing gross disrespect to high-profile members of their party,” Dylan Williams of the liberal pro-Israel group J Street wrote on Twitter.
The Jewish Democratic Council condemned the move as “counterproductive” and Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-Manhattan) called it “utterly egregious.”
Sen. Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.) said Israel was showing weakness, not strength, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (DMass.) also denounced it as a “shameful, unprecedented move.”
Allowing the trip to go forward would have brought its own big risks.
Tlaib and especially Omar command huge support on social media and would have likely used the trip to spotlight the injustice of the 52year Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. They might also have highlighted Israel’s control of Muslim holy sites in East Jerusalem, an explosive issue worldwide.
Tlaib announced the trip last winter as a full-blown congressional delegation that she framed as a counterweight to the annual visits to Israel for Republicans and Democrats organized by the pro-Israel American Israel Public Affairs Committee.
It was thrown into turmoil when the organizer dropped out, The News reported. Omar appears to be the only colleague who decided to join the trip.
Israel said unequivocally that it would allow the trip to go forward just a few weeks ago.
“We would not deny entry to any member of Congress,” Ron Dermer, Israel’s veteran ambassador to the U.S., said in a statement.
Neither Tlaib nor Omar has commented on the trip in recent weeks. Israel’s embassy did not respond to requests for comment Thursday about the flip-flop.
Ironically even the public affairs committe issued a statement saying “every member of Congress should be free to visit Israel.”