Jerusalem: Caught between the opposing views of US President Donald Trump and Democratic leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reversed himself and decided to prohibit US congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting Israel during a trip scheduled to start on Sunday.
The move followed an unusual intervention by Trump and immediately opened up a new battle between Netanyahu and Democrats, who had privately warned that such a decision would be unprecedented and inconsistent with Israel’s claims of tolerance and openness.
“The decision has been made; the decision is not to allow them to enter,” Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told Israel’s Reshet Radio.
Several pro-Israel groups in the United States criticised the decision, an about-face on the part of Netanyahu’s government.