Reports: Israel Bans BDS-Supporting US Congresswomen Tlaib, Omar

Israel has reportedly barred US congresswomen Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) and Rep. Ilan Omar (D-Minnesota) from entering the country, in accordance with a 2017 law requiring the Interior Ministry to blacklist foreign nationals who support the boycott, divestment, sanctions (BDS) movement. Critics contend that BDS is inherently anti-Semitic, as the movement’s indirect call for a single state rather than two states means the dissolution of Israel and, by extension, an end to the Jewish people’s right to self-determination. According to Israeli media, Tlaib and Omar were expected to use the trip as a platform for launching a concerted anti-Israel information campaign. They were slated to travel to Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. The decision may have been influenced by US President Donald, who reportedly criticized the Israeli government’s initial plan to allow the Democratic lawmakers to visit “out of respect for Congress” and with a view to reinforcing bipartisan US support for Israel.