US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib will be allowed to enter Israel to visit her relatives, interior minister Aryeh Deri announced on Friday, indicating the country has ignored President Donald Trump’s unsolicited suggestion to ban her and colleague, Rep Ilahn Omar.

The move comes a day after Israel had announced it would deny entry to the two congresswomen in a scheduled trip, citing the lawmakers’ past criticism of the country.

There was no word from Deri on Omar’s request.

The decision to block their entry came shortly after a tweet from President Trump urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to block the House members’ visit, saying it would “show great weakness” to let them visit.

Trump’s move drew criticism across Washington, as pro-Israel groups condemned the president for threatening U.S.-Israel relations, foreign policy experts warned of strained diplomatic ties and stunned Democrats issued statements denouncing the president for pressuring a foreign government to deny his American political opponents rights of free passage. </s> JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel decided on Friday to allow U.S. congresswoman Rashida Tlaib - a critic of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians - to visit family in the occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds after barring her from making an official visit to Israel.

Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he would not allow Tlaib and fellow Democrat congresswoman Ilhan Omar, to make a planned trip to Israel.

However, Netanyahu said that if Tlaib submitted a request to visit family on humanitarian grounds, Israel would consider it as long as she promised not to promote a boycott against Israel.

Tlaib and Omar have voiced support for the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement which opposes the Israeli occupation and policies toward Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under Israeli law, BDS backers can be denied entry to Israel.

Tlaib sent a letter to Israel’s Interior Ministry on Thursday requesting permission to visit relatives, including her grandmother, who is in her 90s. It could be her last opportunity to see her, she said.

“I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit,” Tlaib wrote in the request, which was circulated by the website Ynet and other Israeli media.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement it “decided on Friday to approve the entry of U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for a humanitarian visit to her 90-year-old grandmother.”

Tlaib’s office could not be reached for comment, and it was not immediately clear when she might travel.

Tlaib and Omar are the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress, and the Detroit-born Tlaib is also the first Palestinian-American congresswoman.

Both are members of their party’s progressive wing and sharp critics both of Trump and Israeli policy.

Their official visit was to have included visits to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians envisage as part of an independent state along with Gaza.

Israel had initially chosen to allow the visit, but changed course on Thursday after Trump called on his ally not to let them in. (nL8N25B3KV)

Trump has in recent months accused Tlaib, Omar and two other first-term Democratic congresswomen of color - dubbed “the Squad” - of hostility to Israel in a barrage condemned by critics as racist and widely seen as a way to drum up votes for 2020. (nL2N24J02S)

Tlaib, 43, has roots in the West Bank village of Beit Ur Al-Fauqa, where her grandmother and extended family live.

The prospects of ending the occupation and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict under the so-called two-state solution which had guided international peace-making efforts since 1993 have all but evaporated, while Israeli settlements in the territories have expanded.

The Trump administration, which is particularly close to the Netanyahu government, has touted its own peace plan but details remain vague. It fueled Palestinian anger by recognizing disputed Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017. </s> In this Aug. 13, 2019, photo, President Donald Trump arrives to speak in Monaca, Pa. Trump is hoping to woo New Hampshire into his column heading into 2020. The president will visit the state on Thursday to hold a reelection rally. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on Israel’s decision to bar two U.S. Democratic congresswomen from visiting (all times local):

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel “is open to all visitors and all criticism,” but will bar entry to two U.S. Democratic congresswomen over their support for boycotts.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement Thursday saying that based on Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar’s itinerary for an upcoming visit to the West Bank and Jerusalem, “it became clear that they are planning a trip whose sole purpose was strengthening the boycott and negating the legitimacy of Israel.”

The prime minister said Israel had welcomed 70 Republican and Democratic members of Congress “with open arms,” and that “there’s not a state in the world that respects the United States and the U.S. Congress more than the state of Israel.”

The decision was announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would “show great weakness” to allow the congresswomen in.

Tlaib and Omar are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, and have been the subject of repeated attacks by Trump in recent weeks, including a series of racist tweets last month.

Israel’s deputy foreign minister says the government has decided to bar two U.S. Democratic congresswomen who support the international boycott movement from entering the country.

Tzipi Hotovely told Israel Radio in an interview Thursday that “Israel has decided not to allow” Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota to visit as planned.

She says it is in keeping with a policy of denying entry to those who advocate boycotts of Israel.

Her remarks came shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that “it would show great weakness” if Israel allowed them in.

The two newly-elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank.

President Donald Trump says Israel should bar two Democratic U.S. congresswomen from visiting the country.

Israel’s prime minister and other top officials were meeting to reevaluate the decision to allow Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to visit next week. Both are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and support a boycott of Israel.

Trump tweeted Thursday: “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed” the Americans to visit, claiming: “They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds.”

Trump has spent weeks now criticizing the members, including sending racist tweets.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

Israel’s prime minister is holding consultations with senior ministers and aides to reevaluate the decision to allow two Democratic Congresswomen to enter the country next week.

A government official said Thursday that Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations about the upcoming visit of Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and that “there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and advocates of a boycott against the country. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the U.S. from the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress. </s> - Israel has reversed its decision to bar a visit to Israel by a U.S. congresswoman.

The interior ministry said Friday it will allow Representative Rashida Tlaib to visit on "humanitarian" grounds to see her Palestinian grandmother.

Israel said Thursday it would not allow Tlaib and Rep Ilhan Omar to enter the country, setting off a new round of controversy in the debate over U.S. support for its ally in the Middle East.

Omar was not mentioned in Israel's announcement Friday.



The two Democratic lawmakers have been vocal critics of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians. They were set to visit Israel and several cities in the West Bank.

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told public broadcaster Kan on Thursday, “We won't allow those who deny our right to exist in this world to enter Israel. In principle, this is a very justified decision.”

 

 U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted shortly before Thursday's announcement, writing, “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.”

Later in the day, Trump defended the Israeli decision. "I can't imagine why Israel would let them in," he said, repeating that the two lawmakers were "very anti Jewish and very anti Israel."

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the president’s comments “are a sign of ignorance and disrespect, and beneath the dignity of the Office of the President.” Pelosi reaffirmed her love of Israel but said the move to deny entry to Omar and Tlaib “is a sign of weakness, and beneath the dignity of the great state of Israel.”

Omar and Tlaib’s frequent criticism of Israel has drawn accusations of anti-Semitism for months. Omar was condemned by the congressional leadership in her own party for invoking an offensive trope about Jews and money in social media postings earlier this year.

Omar said the Israeli government's ban on her entry into the country prevented her from fulfilling her duties as a member of the U.S. Congress.

Tlaib tweeted a photograph of her Palestinian grandmother, who she said "deserves to live in peace & with human dignity."

Omar and the Palestinian-American Tlaib are supporters of BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions), a nonviolent movement that seeks to economically pressure Israel into ending its occupation of the West Bank, among other goals. Some advocates of BDS support a single-state solution that critics say would lead to the destruction of the Jewish state.

The freshman members of Congress have repeatedly presented a challenge for the House Democratic leadership, as their outspoken statements on U.S. policy in the Middle East have drawn Trump's attention.

 

 Omar and Tlaib were two of four House Democratic freshman members of color whom the president has said should “go back” to their home countries. Omar — a naturalized U.S. citizen from Somalia — is the only one of the four who was born outside the United States. The president’s supporters chanted, “Send her back” after Trump mentioned the congresswoman at a rally earlier this year. The president later said he did not like those chants.

 

 The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution in July condemning the BDS movement. Both Omar and Tlaib voted against that resolution.

This story was updated at 7am on August 16 </s> JERUSALEM -- Israel said Thursday that it will bar two Democratic congresswomen from entering the country ahead of a planned visit over their support for a Palestinian-led boycott movement, a decision announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would "show great weakness" to allow them in.The move to bar Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from visiting the close American ally appeared to be unprecedented and marked a deep foray by Israel into America's bitterly polarized politics. It is also a sharp escalation of Israel's campaign against the international boycott movement.Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued a statement saying that after consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials he decided not to allow Tlaib and Omar to enter because of "their boycott activities against Israel."The two newly elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib's family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank. Deri said Israel would consider any request from Tlaib to visit relatives on humanitarian grounds.Shortly before the decision was announced, Trump had tweeted that "it would show great weakness" if Israel allowed them to visit. "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds." He went on to call the two congresswomen "a disgrace."Israel has sought to combat the BDS movement, which advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israeli businesses, universities and cultural institutions. The country passed a law permitting a ban on entry to any activist who "knowingly issues a call for boycotting Israel."Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.The interior minister's statement said "the state of Israel respects the American Congress, in the framework of the close alliance between the two countries, but it's unacceptable to allow the entrance to the country of those who wish to harm the state of Israel, especially during their visit."Supporters of the boycott movement say it is a non-violent way to protest Israeli policies and call for Palestinian rights. Critics say the movement aims to delegitimize Israel and ultimately erase it from the map, replacing it with a binational state.Israel often hosts delegations of U.S. representatives and senators, who usually meet with senior Israeli officials as well as Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank.MIFTAH, the Palestinian organization that was set to host Tlaib and Omar in the West Bank, issued a statement saying that Israel's decision was "an affront to the American people and their representatives" and "an assault on the Palestinian people's right to reach out to decision-makers and other actors from around the world."It was not immediately clear if the two congresswomen had planned on meeting with Israeli officials during their visit. Their spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The decision to ban the congresswomen could further sharpen divisions among U.S. Democrats over Israel ahead of the 2020 elections. Republicans have amplified the views of left-wing Democrats like Tlaib and Omar to present the party as deeply divided and at odds with Israel. Democratic leaders have pushed back, reiterating the party's strong support for Israel, in part to protect representatives from more conservative districts.In July, the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution against the BDS movement.Tlaib and Omar have also been the target of repeated attacks by President Donald Trump in recent months, including a series of racist tweets on July 14 in which he said they should "go back" to the "broken" countries they came from. Both are U.S. citizens and Tlaib was born in the United States. The two are members of the so-called "Squad" of newly-elected left-wing Democrats, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.American Jewish organizations had objected to barring the two Democrats from entering the country. The American Jewish Congress said that despite Omar and Tlaib's planned "propaganda exercise," it believed that "the costs in the U.S. of barring the entry of two members of Congress may prove even higher than the alternative."Politicians and former diplomats also spoke out against barring the congresswomen from visiting.Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro wrote on Twitter that the decision to bar their entry "harms Israel's standing in the U.S., boosts BDS."Israeli lawmaker Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List of Arab parties, criticized the move, writing that "Israel has always banned Palestinians from their land and separated us from other Palestinians, but this time the Palestinian is a U.S. Congresswoman."Arthur Lenk, formerly Israel's ambassador to South Africa, said barring Omar and Tlaib "would be sinking us deeper into U.S. domestic political quagmire." </s> JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel's interior minister said Friday he has received and granted a request by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib to enter the Israeli-occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds.

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian origin, asked to visit her 90-year-old grandmother in the West Bank, Minister Aryeh Deri said in a statement.

Deri's office published what it said was Tlaib's written request, on congressional stationary. In the letter, Tlaib said she would respect any restrictions and "not promote boycotts" during her visit.

The minister's decision marked yet another reversal concerning the high-profile West Bank tour that had been planned by Tlaib and fellow Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar.

On Thursday, Israel had announced it was barring the two from entry — an unprecedented move targeting members of the U.S. Congress. Israel's decision came after President Donald Trump said in a tweet it would show "weakness" to allow in the two Democrats who have been sharply critical of him and of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.

Tlaib and Omar had planned to visit Jerusalem and several West Bank cities, starting this weekend. Both are known as supporters of "boycott, divestment and sanctions," or BDS, a Palestinian-led global movement. Israel alleges that BDS targets Israel's very existence, while the movement's supporters say it is intended as leverage to end more than half a century of Israeli military rule over Palestinians.

Israel's decision to ban the two had sparked widespread criticism, including from Israeli and Jewish organization who said it was an affront to U.S. institutions to bar the entry of members of Congress.

Deri said Friday he granted a subsequent request by Tlaib to visit the West Bank on humanitarian grounds. In her letter, Tlaib writes that this could be her last chance to see her grandmother.

Deri's office said in a statement that he "decided to allow her entry to Israel and hopes she will stand by her commitment and that the visit will be for humanitarian needs only."

Tlaib's apparent pledge to conduct the visit in line with restrictions imposed by Israel was bound to anger Palestinians who had hoped the congressional tour would highly their plight. </s> The Latest: Trump: Israel should not let Tlaib, Omar visit

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on Israel considering whether to let two U.S. congressma (all times local):

President Donald Trump says Israel should bar two Democratic U.S. congresswomen from visiting the country.

Israel's prime minister and other top officials were meeting to reevaluate the decision to allow Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to visit next week. Both are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and support a boycott of Israel.

Trump tweeted Thursday: "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed" the Americans to visit, claiming: "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds."

Trump has spent weeks now criticizing the members, including sending racist tweets.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

Israel's prime minister is holding consultations with senior ministers and aides to reevaluate the decision to allow two Democratic Congresswomen to enter the country next week.

A government official said Thursday that Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations about the upcoming visit of Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and that "there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format." The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and advocates of a boycott against the country. Tlaib's family immigrated to the U.S. from the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress. </s> Israel's interior minister said Friday he has received and granted a request by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib to enter the Israeli-occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds.

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian origin, asked to visit her 90-year-old grandmother in the West Bank, Minister Aryeh Deri said in a statement.

Deri's office published what it said was Tlaib's written request, on congressional stationary. In the letter, Tlaib said she would respect any restrictions and "not promote boycotts" during her visit.

The minister's decision marked yet another reversal concerning the high-profile West Bank tour that had been planned by Tlaib and fellow Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar.

On Thursday, Israel had announced it was barring the two from entry — an unprecedented move targeting members of the U.S. Congress. Israel's decision came after President Donald Trump said in a tweet it would show "weakness" to allow in the two Democrats who have been sharply critical of him and of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.

Tlaib and Omar had planned to visit Jerusalem and several West Bank cities, starting this weekend. Both are known as supporters of "boycott, divestment and sanctions," or BDS, a Palestinian-led global movement. Israel alleges that BDS targets Israel's very existence, while the movement's supporters say it is intended as leverage to end more than half a century of Israeli military rule over Palestinians.

Israel's decision to ban the two had sparked widespread criticism, including from Israeli and Jewish organization who said it was an affront to U.S. institutions to bar the entry of members of Congress.

Deri said Friday he granted a subsequent request by Tlaib to visit the West Bank on humanitarian grounds. In her letter, Tlaib writes that this could be her last chance to see her grandmother.

Deri's office said in a statement that he "decided to allow her entry to Israel and hopes she will stand by her commitment and that the visit will be for humanitarian needs only."

Tlaib's apparent pledge to conduct the visit in line with restrictions imposed by Israel was bound to anger Palestinians who had hoped the congressional tour would highly their plight. </s> JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on Israel considering whether to let two U.S. congressma (all times local):

President Donald Trump says Israel should bar two Democratic U.S. congresswomen from visiting the country.

Israel's prime minister and other top officials were meeting to reevaluate the decision to allow Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to visit next week. Both are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and support a boycott of Israel.

Trump tweeted Thursday: "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed" the Americans to visit, claiming: "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds."

Trump has spent weeks now criticizing the members, including sending racist tweets.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

Israel's prime minister is holding consultations with senior ministers and aides to reevaluate the decision to allow two Democratic Congresswomen to enter the country next week.

A government official said Thursday that Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations about the upcoming visit of Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and that "there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format." The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and advocates of a boycott against the country. Tlaib's family immigrated to the U.S. from the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.
Two American Muslim congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, are barred from entering Israel before a planned visit to the country due to their support of the BDS movement, a decision which was encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump.