Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Rashida Harbi TlaibLongtime Rep. Lacy Clay defeated in Missouri Democratic primary The Hill's Campaign Report: Even the Post Office is political now | Primary action tonight | Super PACS at war Five primary races to watch on Tuesday MORE (D-Mich.) tweeted Friday that she will not go to the West Bank and Israel to visit her grandmother after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin (Bibi) NetanyahuMORE's government initially forbid her from entering.
Tlaib said Israel's government had sought to silence her and had treated her as a criminal and that she had decided she would not visit her grandmother under those circumstances.
"Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me," said Tlaib, whose parents are Palestinian immigrants. "It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in — fighting against racism, oppression & injustice."
Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me. It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in--fighting against racism, oppression & injustice. https://t.co/z5t5j3qk4H
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 16, 2019
Tlaib is one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. The other, Rep. Ilhan Omar
Ilhan OmarLongtime Rep. Lacy Clay defeated in Missouri Democratic primary Police committed 125 human rights violations during Floyd protests: Amnesty Trump campaign rolls out TV spots in early voting states after advertising pause MORE (D-Minn.), was also barred from entering Israel.
Israel said it would not allow the two women to enter because of their support for the international boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, which advocates for boycotting, disinvesting and sanctioning Israel over its treatment of the Palestinians.
The Netanyahu government on Friday said it would allow Tlaib to enter the country to visit her grandmother were she to file a humanitarian request, which the congresswoman later did. In the request, Tlaib pledged initially not to vocalize her support for the BDS movement while in the region.
In explaining her shift, Tlaib said that she wanted to make sure that she could speak "the truth" if visiting Israel.
Israel decided to not allow Tlaib and Omar to visit the country after President Trump
Donald John TrumpMark Kelly clinches Democratic Senate nod in Arizona Trump camp considering White House South Lawn for convention speech: reports Longtime Rep. Lacy Clay defeated in Missouri Democratic primary MORE on Thursday urged them not to do so. Trump has repeatedly used Tlaib and Omar, who have both been critical of Israel's policies, as political foils.
Trump and Israel's government came under heavy criticism from Democrats for their actions, as well as from some Republicans.
While most of the Republicans commenting said they disagreed with Omar and Ilhan on policy matters related to Israel, they argued that barring them from entering the country would give attention to their views and ammunition to Israel's critics.
Kevin Owen McCarthyBass honored US Communist Party leader in unsurfaced remarks Don't let Trump distract us from the real threat of his presidency Overnight Health Care: Five takeaways from Fauci's testimony | CDC: Children might play 'important role' in spreading COVID-19 | GOP leader wants rapid testing at Capitol MORE (R-Calif.) faulted the two for not joining the bipartisan delegation earlier in the week, while adding that the two should have been allowed to come.