Ilhan Omar slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for banning her and Rashida Tlaib from visiting the country.
Muslim lawmaker Omar, who is a frequent target of President Trump’s wrath, referred to the administration policy to ban refugees from seven Muslim countries.
“It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.
S. government. Trump’s Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected Members of Congress,” said the Minnesota Democrat in a statement.
Omar also criticized Netanyahu for the way he treats Palestinians, saying it was ‘not a surprise’ that they were banned from their trip.
“Sadly, this is not a surprise given the public positions of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has consistently resisted peace efforts, restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, limited public knowledge of the brutal realities of the occupation and aligned himself with Islamophobes like Donald Trump,” she said.
Meanwhile, Tlaib posted a photo of her grandmother Muftia Tlaib on Twitter, and said Israel’s decision to ‘bar her granddaughter’ from the country was a ‘sign of weakness.’
The Michigan Democrat wrote: “This woman right here is my sity. She deserves to live in peace & with human dignity. I am who I am because of her.
“The decision by Israel to bar her granddaughter, a U.S. Congresswoman, is a sign of weakness b/c the truth of what is happening to Palestinians is frightening.”
President Donald Trump praised Netanyahu for banning the two from visiting Israel.
“They are so anti-Israel, so anti-Jewish,” he said to reporters in New Jersey. “What they have said is disgraceful. So I can’t imagine why Israel would let them in.”
Trump tweeted Thursday morning: “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!”
Netanyahu said in a statement the lawmakers’ visit was designed to ‘hurt’ the country. “Their intent is to hurt Israel and increase its unrest against it.”
After the Prime Minister announced the decision, the president tweeted: “Representatives Omar and Tlaib are the face of the Democrat Party, and they HATE Israel!”
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