Israel's move to bar two Democratic lawmakers is unpopular with nearly everyone but Trump
WASHINGTON — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s widely condemned decision Thursday to bow to President Donald Trump’s pressure and bar two U.S. Democratic congresswomen from entering Israel was a calculated but risky move.
It appeased a demanding U.S. president whom Netanyahu has long curried favor with and will need as he faces reelection next month. But it also angered and alienated many in Congress, where Israel for years has enjoyed uncommon bipartisan support and received billions of dollars in aid.
Even the staunchly pro-Israel lobbying group AIPAC spoke out against the extraordinary diplomatic slap, saying all members of Congress should be welcome in the country. And scores of former Israeli officials and former U.S. ambassadors to Israel joined in widespread criticism, saying the decision would harm U.S.-Israeli relations and set a bad precedent of disrespecting the U.S. Congress that other nations might follow. None could think of any other time when Israel banned a member of Congress.
“This is what happens when Trump and Netanyahu turn Israel into a partisan issue,” said Martin Indyk, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, now at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank. He said it showed that Netanyahu “can’t stand up to Trump’s pressure.”
For Trump, the move fueled his battle against four lawmakers of color and may appeal to his evangelical base’s staunch support of Israel. Critics called it part of an effort by Trump and the GOP to make Israel a more partisan issue.
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