McSally backs Israel in barring Omar, Tlaib

Echoing President Donald Trump, Sen. Martha McSally blasted two Democratic congresswomen on Thursday, saying they have “hijacked” pro-Israel discussions in Congress and that she supports Israel’s decision to block them from entering the country.

The decision by Israeli officials to block Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., came after Trump’s tweets Thursday saying they “hate Israel & all Jewish people” and Israel would show weakness by allowing them in for a scheduled trip.

The progressive, Muslim lawmakers, planned on traveling to Jerusalem and the West Bank, among other stops, this weekend.

Israel announced it would deny them entry, in part over their support of the “Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions” movement. The BDS movement is intended to pressure Israel into ending an occupation of the West Bank.

McSally, R-Ariz., who had been deployed in the Middle East while serving in the Air Force, stood by Trump’s position during an appearance on Fox News.

“Their actions and their words have been dangerous,” she said. “Their antiSemitism, their support to the BDS movement, they personally lead an effort to ensure the House of Representatives couldn’t pass a bill to condemn anti-Semitism.”

Asked if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., should push back against the members’ views, McSally noted there are Democrats in the House and Senate that support Israel.

“I think these two and some others have hijacked their discussions and these are really important issues for us to be bipartisan on,” McSally said. “I hope Speaker Pelosi stands up against them, calls out their dangerous rhetoric, and continues to show strong bipartisan support for our ally, Israel, which is the only real democratic country in that region.”

Pelosi called Israel’s actions a “sign of weakness and beneath the dignity of the great State of Israel.” She and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, DN.Y., have called on Israel to reverse its decision.

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., did not publicly wade into the controversy.

Former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who did not seek re-election last year after falling out of favor with GOP voters, said on Twitter that banning the congresswomen was not a show of strength.

“And encouraging the Israeli Government to take such a position is not helping Israel,” he said of Trump’s position.