Israel denies Reps. Omar and Tlaib entry amid Trump pressure
Freshman congresswomen blocked from entering Israel; reaction and analysis from the ‘Special Report’ all-star panel.
The Federalist senior editor Mollie Hemingway defended Israel’s right to block Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from entering the country Thursday, saying it’s important not to tolerate the BDS [Boycott, Divest, Sanction] movement.
“They were coming, not as an outreach mission or to find facts about Israel, but to do something that was so political it would be in direct violation of Israeli law,” Hemingway said on “Special Report with Bret Baier.” “So, they [Israel] have the right to do this.”
Israeli officials blocked the congresswomen from entering the country as part of a planned visit, a reversal that came after concerns about their support for boycotts of Israel.
Hemingway hoped that the congresswomen would be able to visit Israel under different circumstances.
ISRAEL BLOCKS OMAR, TLAIB FROM ENTERING COUNTRY AMID PRESSURE FROM TRUMP
“It’s unfortunate because it’s good for people to visit Israel to learn more about this country and to understand the complexity of the situation there, not just about Israel but the Palestinian territories as well. So one hopes that they will be able to visit under different circumstances,” Hemingway said.
Hemingway also addressed the seriousness of the BDS movement and how “the left” has tolerated its existence.
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“It’s also true that people need to understand the seriousness of efforts to go after Israel and its people. And there has been a lot of tolerance of the BDS movements, boycott movements against Israel on the American left,” Hemingway said. “I think it’s important for people to speak out against those movements and the harm that they cause and instead of just tolerating them.”
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