The drama continued to unfold Friday.
One day after Israel said it would ban U.S. Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from a four-day trip to the Palestinian territories, it announced it will approve a humanitarian request from the Detroiter Tlaib to visit her 90-year-old grandmother Muftiya Tlaib in the occupied West Bank, The Washington Post reports.
The congresswoman explains in a statement and on Twitter why she declines the conditional offer:
Silencing me & 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 & injustice. https://t.co/z5t5j3qk4H
— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) August 16, 2019
Earlier, she wrote to the Israeli government:
“I would like to request admittance to Israel in order to visit my relatives, and specifically my grandmother who is in her 90s and lives in Beit Ur al-Fouqa. This would be my last opportunity to see her. I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit.”
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued a statement expressing hope “the visit would indeed be for humanitarian purposes only.”
On Thursday, Israel announced the two Congress members, who have backed a boycott of Israel, would be banned from entering as part of an official Congressional trip.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement Thursday:
"The plan of the two Congresswomen is only to damage Israel and to foment [anger] against Israel."
Israeli law allows the country to ban people who support the boycott of Israel.
On Thursday, Tlaib expressed disappointment and criticized Israel for trying to suppress her concerns about Palestinian rights.
President Donald Trump praised the decision to ban the Congress members, suggesting they were anti-Semitic and the face of the Democratic party.
Related content today:
'Political Bargaining Chip:' Rashida Tlaib Tells Why She Won't Visit Israel