Tlaib and Omar Barred from Israel

According to Netanyahu:

“Only a few days ago, we received their visitation plan, and it became clear that they were planning a campaign whose sole purpose was to strengthen the boycott and negate Israel’s legitimacy,” Netanyahu said (referring to the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, known as BDS).

“For example, they defined their visit destination as ‘Palestine’ rather than ‘Israel,’ and unlike all Democratic and Republican congressmen to date, they have avoided seeking any meeting with an official Israeli official in both the government and the opposition,” the prime minister added".

My thoughts:

  1. I am Pro-Israel.

  2. Tlib and Omar should know better than to try to underhandedly play Politics with an Old Master like Bebe.

  3. If this was essentially meant to be an Anti-Israel visit…they shouldn’t be allowed to go as Representatives of the United States.

Thoughts? (@Jewbacca and others…)

They are too naive and well, ignorant, to know how things work. Israel is an ally and that isn’t changing. By basically ignoring Israel on a visit there it’s almost a symbolic gesture of not recognizing Israel’s legitimacy. Regardless of what one thinks about Israel the truth is most Israelis, maybe all, don’t want to wipe all Muslims and/or Arabs off the face of the Earth. You can’t say the same for all Muslims. I think too many Americans ignore that reality.

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I’m no fan of Israeli foreign-domestic policy, but it’s just vindictive and counterproductive to so blatantly pick a side. American representatives should be trying to moderate solutions, not trying to antagonize.

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Guys, you’re missing the point - this isn’t about what Israel did, it’s about the fact that Trump called them to do it and congratulated afterwards.

Israel can do whatever they want, they’re a sovereign country. And from what I’ve seen, they’re in the right because, among other things, the destination of the trip was insidiously labeled as “Palestine”.

Now, both Omar and Tlaib may hold repugnant and abhorrent views, but they’re members of the US legislative branch and the POTUS is sending a clear message that treatment of not just US citizens, but US sitting officials by other countries is conditional on their domestic political position, namely opposition to the current administration.

This is another version of “Russia, if you’re listening…” schtick. That’s why Putin had the gall in Helsinki to call on Trump to extradite to Russia a former US ambassador, because he was an Obama apointeee.

And the Imperial powers of old fully understood the concept - an individual may be a piece of shit, but if he’s your official you stand behind him/her in relation to the third party.

Trump is bringing the arbitrariness typical of tinpot dictatorships - treatment of your citizens and officals abroad depends on their proximity to the President or one of his acolytes (ASAP Rocky cough cough) and not on the stars and stripes proverbially fluttering behind them.

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I didn’t know that was part of the story until earlier this morning. Who got Trump to do it because Trump doesn’t know policy, history or current events?

Tlib can go…with conditions:

“Congresswoman Tlaib has sent tonight a letter to Minister Deri in which she committed to accept all the demands of Israel to respect the restrictions imposed on her in the visit, and she also promised not to advance boycotts against Israel during her visit,” Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said Friday in a statement announcing his decision.

I respect Israel’s stand and position.

Trump is another matter entirely.

To be clear, they labeled it a visit to Palestine. Since no such place legally exists, the denial seems legit.
And let’s not dance between the rain drops, these are a couple of anti-semites going there to trash the place publicly.

And Netanyahu saw right through it…

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136 countries recognize a state under that name comprising West Bank and Gaza.

No, Netanyahu was basically challenged by Trump to bar them from entering Israel, had to react not to piss off POTUS.

Joe Lieberman put in succinctly:

“This kind of behavior by both leaders, I would say with respect, jeopardizes that tradition of nonpartisanship and American support of Israel,” Lieberman, who has been a pro-Israel advocate and supportive of Trump’s past actions on US-Israel relations, said.

Lieberman said Trump’s disagreements with Omar and Tlaib are a “fight that should happen here in the United States.”

“They’re duly elected members of Congress. I can disagree with them, as I do, but really it’s disrespect for the Congress and the American political system for our ally to keep two members of Congress out of Israel,” Lieberman, a Democrat turned Independent, said.

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I’m having difficulty teasing out Trump’s behavior from the agenda that Tlib and Omar obviously had for going to Israel in the first place.

Since nothing Trump does surprises me anymore; I am left with judging the behavior of the two Congress Women.

I am not convinced they are anti-Semitic. Omar has stated the US’s support for Israel is about money, but I guess I wouldn’t paint that as anti-Semitic.

IMO, we need to be careful to not confuse criticism of Israel’s government with Antisemitism.

Tlib now refuses to go under “oppressive conditions”.

Was her true aim to see her ailing grandmother or not?

Specifically what have they said about Jews that makes you label them antisemites?

The decision was made by Netanyahu not Trump and I don’t blame him. Omar and Tlib are anti-semites. I have zero doubt.
They applied to the country of Palestine, not Israel a country that does not exist on any legal map since 1947.
If you apply for a visa to the south western U.S. and call it Mexico, you will be rejected.
The very action they did in fact take was a denial of the existence of Israel.

They both have a long twisted distaste for anything Israel or Jewish. They associations are all with anti-semitic groups or people. It’s a thin veil they wear.

You must be joking.

Please enlighten me with specifics and quotes please.

You’ll be waiting…

Here’s an example…

That’s a link to an opinion piece.

Last I checked, it isn’t antisemetic to call-out the main pro Israel PAC for lobbying Congress aggressively. In fact, there is no mention of Judaism at all.

If you call out Saudi Arabia for it’s abhorrent human rights record, and scary sway over American politicians, I certainly wouldn’t accuse you of being islamaphobic or a Muslim hater.

Additionally, criticising Israel or Judaism in general doesn’t make for an antisemite anymore than a POTUS candidate criticising the incumbent govt make for an anti-american.