Rep. Rashida Tlaib changed her mind about visiting Israel hours after the Israeli government granted her permission to enter the country to visit her grandmother — the latest twist in a daylong feud that began with Israel barring the Democrat from entering the country.
“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,” Tlaib said Friday morning.
When I won, it gave the Palestinian people hope that someone will finally speak the truth about the inhumane conditions. I can’t allow the State of Israel to take away that light by humiliating me & use my love for my sity to bow down to their oppressive & racist policies. https://t.co/OYIwExV0ga
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 16, 2019
In a statement later Friday, Tlaib said she has “decided to not travel to Palestine and Israel at this time. Visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother’s heart.”
After Israel said Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar — the first two Muslim women elected to Congress — would be blocked from entering the country because of their support for the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement against Israel, Tlaib wrote to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on Thursday requesting that she be allowed to visit her grandmother, who is in her 90s and lives in the West Bank, and other relatives.
“This could be my last opportunity to see her. I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit,” the Michigan Democrat wrote.
The ministry said it hoped Tlaib would honor her promise to not promote boycott activity during the trip. She was expected to visit her family sometime next week and would not be accompanied by Omar.
Omar offered her support to Tlaib on Friday with a tweet that said, “Sending you strength and solidarity.”
❤️ Sending you strength and solidarity https://t.co/IxwazwukIl
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) August 16, 2019
