On Thursday, the state of Israel banned two United States congresswomen from visiting the country, Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
Israel cited the congresswomen’s support for a boycott against Israel. Israel passed a domestically controversial law in March 2017 which allows the country to bar entry to anyone who supports the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions on Israel movement.
It is, of course, Israel’s business as to who they allow into the country and who they ban, and for debate amongst Israeli citizens on the issue.
That said, it is remarkable that the Trump administration issued a statement in support of such a ban on Omar and Tlaib. The statement followed a tweet by Trump encouraging Israel to issue the ban:
It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2019
I do not believe there has ever before been a case of a sitting United States president advising a foreign country to take action against elected officials of the United States government (or perhaps any citizen) based on issues relating to that country.
As I have already stated, it reflects the bully nature of Trump not bounded by sense, civility or diplomacy. There are no principles behind his actions, but there is hypocrisy.
The US Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, issued a statement saying that the US respects the decision of Israel. He justified the Israeli decision by saying that the “trip, pure and simple, is nothing more than an effort to fuel the [boycott movement] engine that Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar so vigorously support,”
Friedman slammed BDS and said in his statement that it is “economic warfare designed to delegitimize and ultimately destroy the Jewish State.”
Yes, you read that right! An official of the Trump administration recognizes boycotts and sanctions as economic warfare that would delegitimize and ultimately destroy a nation.
Trump may not be able to intellectually defend central power, but he attempts to use it to the degree he thinks he can get away with it.
This outrage against the private BDS movement comes at the same time that the United States government has placed sanctions to varying degrees against Russia, Iran and Venezuela—and has urged countries globally to participate. Is this somehow not economic warfare designed to punish and in some cases destroy ruling governments?
How hypocritical can the Trump administration get? Its sanctions are just fine despite their hurting innocent civilians of several countries, in some cases to the point of starvation, and yet at the same time, they object to the private boycott and sanctions against Israel (which seem to have limited impact) and object to it on the grounds of economic warfare!
I repeat, Trump is a bully. He has no principles, he protects those he favors and attacks those who do not fall in line. He will twist any action as good or bad, dependent on nothing but who the players involved are and whether they are somehow a part of team Trump or not.
Perhaps we should be thankful that he is not intellectually deep and just a savvy street hustler.
Reprinted with permission from Target Liberty.
