Muslim House Members Cannot Visit Home Country

August 15, 2019 2:27 pm

JERUSALEM (AP) – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is slamming Israel’s decision to deny admission to two Muslim-American congresswomen, calling the snub “beneath the dignity of the great State of Israel.” The California Democrat, long a supporter of Israel, also said President Donald Trump’s statements attacking liberal Democratic Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar and encouraging Israel to block their planned visit is “a sign of ignorance and disrespect, and beneath the dignity of the Office of the President.” Tlaib, of Michigan, and Minnesota Democrat Omar are critics of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians, and many Republicans say Omar’s past rhetoric is anti-Semitic. Pelosi noted that Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, recently said that Israel would not deny any members of Congress from entering the country. She called the reversal “sad” and “deeply disappointing.”