Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — one of President Trump’s closest allies — will reportedly have to decide whether two of the President’s latest political enemies can enter Israel and the West Bank for a tour in coming weeks, Haaretz reported.
Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) are both supporters of the BDS movement — Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions — designed to put pressure on Israel over its treatment of Palestinians. According to Haaretz, Israel’s Foreign Ministry can recommend exceptions to diplomatic law to keep BDS supporters out of Israel, but because the two women are federal elected officials, the decision would be left to Netanyahu.
Omar confirmed the details of her and Tlaib’s upcoming trip to the Jewish Insider on Wednesday.
Omar has been accused of anti-Semitism by some on the left and right because of how she’s vocalized opposition to Israel and its discriminatory policies and treatment of Palestinians. Israel passed a law in 2017 that bans foreign supporters of BDS from entering Israel.
As a strong supporter of Trump, Netanyahu — who named a region of Golan Heights after Trump as thanks for his recognition of Israel’s sovereignty over the area — will be faced with a political decision. Trump has spent the better part of the past week lobbing racist insults against Omar, Tlaib and two other congresswomen of color who have criticized him for months.
