In a victory for human decency, Rashida Tlaib’s tweet about her 90-year-old grandmother in the West Bank was enough to compel Benjamin Netanyahu to reverse course on banning the US lawmaker from Israel.
But, just hours later, Tlaib decided against the trip, citing “oppressive conditions” imposed by the Israelis.
On Thursday, minutes after a vile tweet by Donald Trump (who later admitted to discussing the situation with Israeli officials), Israel’s deputy foreign minister barred Tlaib and fellow “Squad” member Ilhan Omar from a planned visit to the county. The decision was met with a furious backlash from Tlaib and Omar’s “sisters”, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, who issued a scathing statement accusing Netanyahu (and Trump) of marginalizing, discriminating against [and] targeting” US lawmakers “because of their gender, their religious beliefs [and] their ethnicity”.
Read more: Netanyahu Incurs Wrath Of AOC, Pressley After Omar, Tlaib Ban
Other Democrats roundly criticized Israel, and they were joined in their condemnation by Republicans Marco Rubio and Susan Collins.
Notably, the move represented a U-turn from last month, when Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer said the country would not ban any US lawmaker from visiting the country no matter what the circumstances.
Fast forward to Friday, and Netanyahu has decided to let Tlaib visit her grandmother.
Tlaib sent a letter to Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on Thursday, promising not to promote a boycott of Israel if the country would allow her to see her family. Here is the letter:
That request was granted.
But, early Friday morning, Tlaib tweeted that she is dissatisfied by what she clearly believes to be an effort to perpetuate oppression.
“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 and use my love for my sity to bow down to their oppressive and racist policies”, she said, adding the following:
Silencing me and 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 and injustice.
“This woman deserves to live in peace and with human dignity. I am who I am because of her,” an indignant Tlaib said in a separate tweet accompanied by a picture of her grandmother on Thursday. “The decision by Israel to bar her granddaughter, a US Congresswoman, is a sign of weakness because the truth of what is happening to Palestinians is frightening”, she added. Tlaib is of Palestinian descent.
Don’t be surprised if Trump weighs in to call this an example of Tlaib being “ungrateful”.
