US lawmaker says no visit to West Bank under ‘oppressive’ Israel conditions

Palestinian-American lawmaker Rashida Tlaib on Friday rejected Israel’s offer to allow her to visit her grandmother in the West Bank, blasting the “oppressive conditions” set for the visit as humiliating.

“I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in —fighting against racism, oppression & injustice,” Tlaib said in a tweet.

Earlier on Friday, Israeli approved Tlaib’s request to visit her family in the occupied West Bank.

“Interior Minister Aryeh Deri decided on Friday to approve the request of US Congressman Rachida Tlaib for a humanitarian visit to her 90-year-old grandmother,” Israeli Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Israeli government opted on Thursday to block Congresswomen Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from visiting the country and the occupied West Bank, sparking widespread condemnation from many.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his government was blocking the congresswomen due to their support for an international boycott movement of Israel.

The elected representatives have been vocal proponents of the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement which seeks to ramp up economic pressure on Israel for its treatment of Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories, and its continued construction of settlements in the West Bank which are illegal under international law.

Trump weighed in late Friday, calling Tlaib’s turnaround “a complete setup.”

“Rep. Tlaib wrote a letter to Israeli officials desperately wanting to visit her grandmother. Permission was quickly granted, whereupon Tlaib obnoxiously turned the approval down, a complete setup.”

He added: “The only real winner here is Tlaib’s grandmother. She doesn’t have to see her now!”