Trump recently said it would “show great weakness if Israel allowed Representative Omar and Representative Tlaib to visit.” Shortly after, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the two Congresswomen were barred from entering Israel.
The controversy, stemming from the fact Representatives Omar and Tlaib are outspoken proponents of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, was met with criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. In fact, some even suggested the billions of dollars in foreign aid the U.S. provides to Israel be reassessed.
Phyllis Bennis, director of the New Internationalism Project at the Institute for Policy Studies, joined the Real News to discuss the implications of banning sitting U.S. Congresspeople from entering Israel, Trump and Netanyahu’s relationship, what role Israel-Palestine might play in the 2020 presidential election, and more.