“As a member of House Committee on foreign affairs, it is my job to conduct oversight of foreign aid from the United States and to legislate on human rights practices around the world,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar in her first statement since the ban.
A warning about foreign aid to Israel was officially issued by a Dem member of Congress, adding to Rep. Omar’s words.
This could backfire on Ilhan Omar or it could on Bibi – Israel gets a lot of aid from America and while Rep. Omar has little power to do anything if the Dem house is serious enough they could together make life hard for Bibi.
This is an escalation and one Bibi should take seriously – bipartisan support for Israel has been a given in Washington, for either side to politicize it could change the dynamic.
The Hill also reported that Rep. Ilhan Omar blasted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over Israel’s decision to deny her and Rep. Rashida Tlaib entry into the country, calling it “an insult to democratic values.”
“It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minster Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.S. government,” Rep. Omar, who has been critical of the Israeli government, said in a statement.
“Trump’s Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected Members of Congress. Denying entry into Israel not only limits our ability to learn from Israelis, but also to enter the Palestinian territories,” Rep. Omar added.
She also argued that the decision “is not a surprise” given Netanyahu’s past comments, asserting that he “has consistently resisted peace efforts, restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, limited public knowledge of the brutal realities of the occupation and aligned himself with Donald Trump.”
Earlier on Thursday, the Israeli government confirmed that it would block Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib’s planned visit this weekend to the country, noting that Israeli law prohibits entry for those who have advocated for a boycott of Israel.