Israel on Thursday announced that it would deny Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) entry during an upcoming overseas trip, citing the lawmakers' past comments critical of the country.
The decision was announced moments after President Trump tweeted that it would show "great weakness" for Israel to allow the two congresswomen into the country, calling them a “disgrace.”
The president has been an outspoken critic of both Omar and Tlaib, who last year became the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. But encouraging a foreign ally to deny entry to two elected U.S. officials marked a significant escalation and break with diplomatic norms.
Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely said the country would not “allow those who deny our right to exist in this world to enter,” The Times of Israel reported, citing a broadcast interview. Hotovely called it a “very justified decision.”
It’s unclear when Israeli officials made the final decision or whether it was affected by Trump’s tweet. News of the decision came roughly an hour after Trump tweeted.
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11.29.2024