Rep. Tlaib turns down Israeli offer
JERUSALEM — Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Friday she will not visit her grandmother in the occupied West Bank, despite being granted an Israeli permit on humanitarian grounds, saying Israel’s “oppressive” conditions aimed to humiliate her.
Following an unprecedented appeal from President Donald Trump, Israel barred Tlaib, of Michigan, and another Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, from visiting Jerusalem and the West Bank over their support for the international boycott movement.
Israel had said, however, that Tlaib could visit relatives in the West Bank on humanitarian grounds. But then the Interior Ministry released a letter purportedly signed by Tlaib in which she promised Tlaib not to advocate boycotts during her visit. That appears to have led to her decision to cancel the 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 less-than is not what she wants for me — it would kill a piece of me that always stands up against racism and injustice.”
Tlaib and Omar had planned to visit Jerusalem and the Israeli-occupied 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 Palestinian-led international movement boycotting Israel.
The two newly elected Muslim members of Congress have sparred with Trump, who tweeted before the decision that it would be a “show of weakness” for Israel to allow them in. Israel controls entry and exit to the West Bank.
But Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri announced early Friday that Tlaib had requested and been granted permission to enter the West Bank to see relatives. The U.s.-born Tlaib’s family immigrated from the West Bank.
Deri’s office released what it said was Tlaib’s request, written on congressional stationery and dated Thursday, in which she said she wanted to visit her grandmother, who is in her 90s.