Hamas official Basem Naim attacked Israel as an apartheid state after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were banned from the country.
“Israel’s prohibition of @IlhanMN & @RashidaTlaib from entering #Palestine reveals Israel’s existential fear of discovering its reality as a racist occupying power. But this can’t change the ongoing process internationally against #ApartheidIsrael. #WelcomeToPalestine #GazaWaitsYou,” Naim said Thursday on Twitter.
Israel’s prohibition of @IlhanMN & @RashidaTlaib from entering #Palestine reveals Israel’s existential fear of discovering its reality as a racist occupying power.But this can’t change the ongoing process internationally against #ApartheidIsrael. #WelcomeToPalestine #GazaWaitsYou pic.twitter.com/ntX4qOGiv3
— Dr. Basem Naim (@basemn63) August 15, 2019
Netanyahu issued a statement Thursday saying his government had decided to reverse an earlier decision to allow Omar and Tlaib to visit the country.
“Only a few days ago, we received their itinerary for their visit in Israel, which revealed that they planned a visit whose sole objective is to strengthen the boycott against us and deny Israel’s legitimacy,” the prime minister said. “For instance: they listed the destination of their trip as Palestine and not Israel, and unlike all Democratic and Republican members of Congress who have visited Israel, they did not request to meet any Israeli officials, either from the government or the opposition.”
For instance: they listed the destination of their trip as Palestine and not Israel, and unlike all Democratic and Republican members of Congress who have visited Israel, they did not request to meet any Israeli officials, either from the government or the opposition.
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) August 15, 2019
Israel had earlier said it would allow the congresswomen to visit the country, despite a law banning foreign nationals who support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions movement from entering the country. Both Omar and Tlaib have voiced public support for the movement, including a resolution they introduced in Congress comparing boycotts of Israel to U.S. boycotts of Nazi businesses.
