Congresswoman decides not to visit West Bank
JERUSALEM — Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Friday she would not visit her aging grandmother in the occupied West Bank, despite being granted an Israeli permit on humanitarian grounds, saying Israel’s “oppressive” conditions aimed to humiliate her.
Israel barred Tlaib and another Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar, from visiting Jerusalem and the West Bank over their support for the international boycott movement following an unprecedented appeal from President Trump to deny them entry.
Israel had said Tlaib could visit relatives in the West Bank on humanitarian grounds. The Interior Ministry released a letter purportedly signed by Tlaib in which she promised not to advocate boycotts during her visit.
“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 lessthan is not what she wants for me — it would kill a piece of me that always stands up against racism and injustice.”
It was not immediately clear if she had initially agreed to the Israeli conditions, and if so what caused her to change her mind.
Tlaib and Omar had planned to visit Jerusalem and the Israelioccupied West Bank next week on a tour organized by a Palestinian group. The two are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and support the Palestinianled international movement boycotting Israel.
The two elected Muslim members of Congress have sparred with Trump, who tweeted before the decision that it would be a “show of weakness” to allow them in. Israel controls entry and exit to the West Bank, which it seized in the 1967 Mideast war along with East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip — territories the Palestinians want for a future state.