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Editorial Note: The following news reports are summaries from original sources. They may also include corrections of Arabic names and political terminology. Comments are in parentheses.

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After Trump-Netanyahu Ban on US Muslim Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar to Visit Palestine, Tlaib Refuses Israeli Conditions Not to Criticize the Israeli Occupation Apartheid Regime

August 17, 2019 

Editor's Note:

The two US Muslim Congresswomen, Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, were brilliantly successful in exposing the degree of capitulation the President of the United States and the US Congress show in dealing with the Israeli occupation apartheid government.

Trump wanted to show that he is more loyal to Israel than Netanyahu by telling him in a tweet to ban a simple fact-finding mission by the two US Congresswomen because of their criticism of the Zionist apartheid regime, which subjugates the Palestinian people, and steals their land on daily basis.

Members of Congress whether Republican or Democrat, who objected to the Trump-Netanyahu ban made sure that their words are so carefully chosen to show that they are loyal to the Israeli occupation apartheid regime. Some of them even criticized the two Congresswomen for not joining a Congressional delegation, sponsored by the Israeli lobbying organization, AIPAC!

Hopefully, this incident may encourage Americans to vote for representatives, like Rashida and Ilhan, who are loyal to the United States, not to the Israeli occupation apartheird regime, which oppresses the Palestinian people and steals their land and resources on daily basis.

Salute to Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar.

***

While brutal force has been used to create Zionist Israel and sustain it thus far, Zionist claims to Palestine are false. Actually, from the five thousand years of known written history, there has been a continuous Palestinian-Canaanite presence in the Holy Land. Despite the Zionist false claims, the ancient Israelites ruled part of the land for only 85 years (during the reign of David, Solomon, and Solomon's son).

 After that, the Egyptians conquered Palestine-Canaan in 925 BC, followed by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans, before the Arab Muslim rule, starting from 636 AD.

By the Time Jesus started his mission, the three population groups of Canaanites, Palestinians, and Israelites were melted together in religion and language. Most of them became Christians when Constantine converted in 313 AD. Then, most of them became Muslims in the 7th and 8th centuries AD.

So, Palestinian Muslims, Christians, and Jews are the ones who have the right to claim descent from ancient Israelites, Palestinians, and Canaanites, not Zionists from other continents.

The following news story is just an example of the Israeli occupation government violations of Palestinian human rights, on daily basis.

In this particularn case, this is a story about the desperate attempts by Israelis and their supporters to suppress any news or fact finding about what's happening to the Palestinian people under the oppressive Israeli military occupation.

More detailed news stories can be found at the following sources: https://english.palinfo.com/, https://imemc.org/, https://paltoday.ps/ar/

 

Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, 2019 The Freedom Squad in US Congress 2019

 

Congresswoman Tlaib’s Statement on Travel to Palestine & Israel

August 16, 2019

DETROIT –  Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (MI-13) released the following statement regarding travel to Israel and Palestine:
 
"In my attempt to visit Palestine, I’ve experienced the same racist treatment that many Palestinian-Americans endure when encountering the Israeli government. In preparation for my visit, my grandmother was deciding which fig tree we would pick from together, while Palestinians and Israelis who are against the illegal military occupation were looking forward to Members of Congress finally listening to and seeing them for the first time. The Israeli government used my love and desire to see my grandmother to silence me and made my ability to do so contingent upon my signing a letter – reflecting just how undemocratic and afraid they are of the truth my trip would reveal about what is happening in the State of Israel and to Palestinians living under occupation with United States support.
 
“I have therefore decided to not travel to Palestine and Israel at this time. Visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother's heart. Silencing me with treatment to make me feel less-than is not what she wants for me – it would kill a piece of me that always stands up against racism and injustice. 
 
“When I won the election to become a United States Congresswoman, many Palestinians, especially my grandmother, felt a sense of hope, a hope that they would finally have a voice. I cannot allow the Israeli government to take that away from them or to use my deep desire to see my grandmother, potentially for the last time, as a political bargaining chip. My family and I have cried together throughout this ordeal; they’ve promised to keep my grandmother alive until I can one day reunite with her. It is with their strength and heart that I reiterate I am a duly elected United States Congresswoman and I will not allow the Israeli government to humiliate me and my family or take away our right to speak out. I will not allow the Israeli government to take away our hope.
 
“Racism and the politics of hate is thriving in Israel and the American people should fear what this will mean for the relationship between our two nations. If you truly believe in democracy, then the close alignment of Netanyahu with Trump's hate agenda must prompt a re-evaluation of our unwavering support for the State of Israel. The denial of entry of a congressional delegation is not only about Congresswoman Omar and I, but also about the deep-rooted racism within Israel that is taking us further away from peace. The Israeli and Palestinian people need us to be more courageous and to be honest brokers of peace. Being silent and not condemning the human rights violations of the Israeli government is a disservice to all who live there, including my incredibly strong and loving grandmother. 
 
“This type of oppression is painful for all humanity, but it is especially painful for me personally every time I hear my loving family members cry out for the freedom to live and the right to feel human." 

Source: https://tlaib.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-tlaib-s-statement-travel-palestine-israel

Rep. Ilhan Omar Statement on Prime Minister Netanyahu's Decision to Deny Her Entry into Israel

August 15, 2019 Press Release

WASHINGTON – Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) released the following statement after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to deny her entry into Israel and the Palestinian territories.

“It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.S. government. Trump’s Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected Members of Congress.  Denying entry into Israel not only limits our ability to learn from Israelis, but also to enter the Palestinian territories.  Sadly, this is not a surprise given the public positions of Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has consistently resisted peace efforts, restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, limited public knowledge of the brutal realities of the occupation and aligned himself with Islamophobes like Donald Trump.

“As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, it is my job to conduct oversight of foreign aid from the United States of America and to legislate on human rights practices around the world. The irony of the ‘only democracy’ in the Middle East making such a decision is that it is both an insult to democratic values and a chilling response to a visit by government officials from an allied nation.”

https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-ilhan-omar-statement-prime-minister-netanyahus-decision-deny-her-entry  

About:

Rashida Tlaib is a well-known progressive warrior and, in her own words, “a mother working for justice for all.” Her two young sons are at the root of her unwavering passion to help change lives for the better. She is the oldest of 14 children, born and raised in Detroit, the proud daughter of Palestinian immigrant parents.

Rashida made history in 2008 by becoming the first Muslim woman to ever serve in the Michigan Legislature. She is beloved by residents for the transformative constituent services she provided, and for successfully fighting the billionaires and corporations that tried to pollute her district. When families get to know Rashida, they have no doubt that she will work tirelessly to knock down barriers for real change, and whether by policy or action, she will roll up her sleeves to make sure her residents are cared for, no matter how big the challenge.

When billionaire slumlord Matty Moroun refused to follow the law and get polluting semi-trucks off neighborhood streets, Rashida organized residents with the We Have A Right To Breathe campaign and forced Moroun to fulfill his obligations to protecting public health. When large piles of black dust started showing up on the Detroit riverfront and blowing into homes and parks, and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality told residents everything was fine, Rashida collected samples and got the substance tested herself - exposing the cancer-causing “petroleum coke” as a threat, and getting it removed.

As an attorney at the Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice, Rashida took the movement to the courts, fighting racist emergency managers, abusive state agencies, and leading the fight for community benefits agreements that promote equitable development.  Rashida knows that effective advocacy requires an all-out approach, fighting in the community, in the legislature, and in the courts every day against injustice and inequality, so that every single person in this country has a chance to thrive.

She is currently the Congresswoman for Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, which includes the city of Detroit and many surrounding communities.

https://tlaib.house.gov/about

About:

Rep. Ilhan Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs.

An experienced Twin Cities policy analyst, organizer, public speaker and advocate, Rep. Omar was sworn into office in January 2019, making her the first Somali-American Member of Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress.

As a legislator, Rep. Omar is committed to fighting for the shared values of the 5th District,  values that put people at the center of our democracy. She plans to focus on tackling many of the issues that she hears about most from her constituents, like investing in education and freeing students from the shackles of debt; ensuring a fair wage for a hard day’s work; creating a just immigration system and tackling the existential threat of climate change.

Rep. Omar also plans to resist attempts to divide us and push destructive policies that chip away at our rights and freedoms—and to build a more inclusive and compassionate culture, one that will allow our economy to flourish and encourage more Americans to participate in our democracy.

Born in Somalia, Rep. Omar and her family fled the country’s civil war when she was eight. The family spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the United States in 1990s. In 1997, she moved to Minneapolis with her family. As a teenager, Rep. Omar’s grandfather inspired her to get involved in politics. Before running for office, she worked as a community educator at the University of Minnesota, was a Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and served as a Senior Policy Aide for the Minneapolis City Council.

In 2016 she was elected as the Minnesota House Representative for District 60B, making her the highest-elected Somali-American public official in the United States and the first Somali-American State Legislator. Rep. Omar served as the Assistant Minority Leader, with assignments to three house committees; Civil Law & Data Practices Policy, Higher Education & Career Readiness Policy and Finance, and State Government Finance.

She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and three children.

https://omar.house.gov/about

***

Rep Rashida Tlaib Calls for Boycotting the Show of the Zionist Israel-Firster Bill Maher, After He Criticizes BDS

Boycott of Bill Maher's Show Suggested by Rep Rashida Tlaib After He Criticizes BDS

MSN, The Wrap, Rosemary Rossi

August 19, 2019

Rep. Rashida Tlaib suggested boycotting "Real Time With Bill Maher" Saturday after he called the anti-Israel Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement she supports a "bulls— purity test" during Friday's HBO show.

"Maybe folks should boycott his show," she tweeted Saturday. "I am tired of folks discrediting a form of speech that is centered on equality and freedom. This is exactly how they tried to discredit & stop the boycott to stand up against the apartheid in S. Africa. It didn't work then and it won't now."

Michigan's outspoken Democratic freshman in Congress was responding to a tweet earlier in the day by Intercept columnist Mehdi Hasan, in which he included a clip of a roundtable discussion on Maher's "Real Time" Friday criticizing BDS. Hasan wrote: "Maher rails against BDS, Palestinians, and Omar/Tlaib with an all-white panel featuring no Palestinians, no Arabs, no Muslims, no people of colour."

Maher came out hard against the BDS movement Friday, calling it a "bulls— purity test by people who want to appear woke but actually slept through history class."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/boycott-of-bill-mahers-show-suggested-by-rep-rashida-tlaib-after-he-criticizes-bds/ar-AAFYK4f?ocid=spartanntp  

***

Israel bars Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting

BBC, 15 August 2019

Israel is blocking two US Democratic lawmakers, who are prominent critics of the Israeli government, from visiting.

Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were due to visit the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem next week.

Both have supported the boycott movement against Israel, but Israeli law allows supporters of the campaign to be banned from visiting.

President Trump earlier tweeted it would show "great weakness" if the pair were allowed entry.

Ms Omar described Israel's move as "an insult to democratic values and a chilling response to a visit by government officials from an allied nation".

Mr Trump earlier had taken to Twitter to urge that the two lawmakers be blocked from visiting, adding that "they hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds".

Ms Omar and Ms Tlaib have both been criticised for their stance on Israel - but have denied charges of being anti-Semitic.

Speaking to reporters later on Thursday, Mr Trump said, "I can't imagine why Israel would let them in."

Why have they been banned?

Israeli law blocks entrance visas to any foreigner who calls for any type of boycott that targets Israel - either economic, cultural or academic.

The law attempts to suppress the "boycott, divest, sanction" movement, which has drawn growing support across Europe and the US.

Israeli officials had earlier said they would make an exception for the elected US officials, before backtracking.

According to US media, their trip was meant to begin on Sunday, and would include a stop at one of the most sensitive sites in the region - a hilltop plateau in Jerusalem known to Jews as the Temple Mount and Muslims as Haram al-Sharif.

They also planned to visit Israeli and Palestinian peace activists and travel to Jerusalem and the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah and Hebron.

The trip to the West Bank was planned by Miftah, an organisation headed by Palestinian peace negotiator Hanan Ashrawi.

Ms Tlaib was planning to stay for two extra days to visit her grandmother, who lives in a Palestinian village.

Who are they?

President Trump, who has a close relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has frequently feuded with the lawmakers and in remarks widely condemned as racist, told them to "go back" to the countries that their families were from.

Ms Tlaib - the first member of the US Congress of Palestinian descent - was born in Michigan, and Ms Omar is from Minnesota but was born in Somalia.

After the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted against the boycott against Israel movement in July, Ms Tlaib criticised the country as "racist".

"I can't stand by and watch this attack on our freedom of speech and the right to boycott the racist policies of the government and the state of Israel," she said.

"Send her back" chants were heard at a Trump rally last month

The House also voted to condemn hate speech in a move directed at Ms Omar for her criticism of US support for Israel.

"It's all about the Benjamins baby," Ms Omar had tweeted in a reference to the US $100 note, leading to allegations that she was using a negative stereotype for Jews.

She later apologised, and said the tweet was meant to criticise lobbyists, not Jews. She also thanked "Jewish allies and colleagues who are educating me on the painful history of anti-Semitic tropes".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-49363041  

***

Meet Rashida Tlaib’s Grandma: ‘Who wouldn’t be proud of a granddaughter like that?’

 

August 17, 2019 5:21 PM IMEMC News & Agencies

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BEIT UR AL-FAUQA, WEST BANK —

Rashida Tlaib’s grandmother does not understand why her granddaughter, a sitting U.S. congresswoman, could not visit her as originally planned.

Muftiyah Tlaib — who says she is somewhere between 85 and her early 90s — lives in the village of Beit Ur al-Fauqa, about 15 miles outside Jerusalem and close to the seam line between Israel and the West Bank, territory that Israel occupied in the 1967 war and that Palestinians hope to see as part of an independent state someday.

She lives in the same elegant limestone house in the same sleepy village she has called home since 1974 — the house where the whole village once came to celebrate Rashida Tlaib’s wedding, and the house that looks directly onto an Israeli settlement with a visible military presence.

“She’s in a big position, and she cannot visit her grandmother,” she laughed, seated in her living room on Friday. “So what good is the position?”

In the end, Muftiyah Tlaib will not see her granddaughter in the coming week. The reunion would have marked the first meeting for the two since about 2007, she said.

[Rep. Tlaib says she will not go to Israel after the country initially rejected her request for a visit, then reversed course]

On Friday, Israel partly reversed its decision from the day before to deny entry to Tlaib (D-Mich.) and fellow congresswoman Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from a planned tour of the Palestinian territories, on the grounds that “the sole purpose of their visit is to harm Israel and increase incitement against it.”

Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said Friday that he would approve a separate humanitarian request for Tlaib to visit her grandmother, or “sity” in Arabic.

“This could be my last opportunity to see her,” Tlaib wrote in a letter to Israeli authorities. “I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit.”

For many Palestinians, the fact that Tlaib accepted these terms was itself an affront, a humiliating compromise in which she was made to forgo her opinions to see her loved ones.

“Israel is the oppressor and its racist attitude towards Palestinians is established policy,” Nour Odeh, a Palestinian journalist, wrote on Twitter. “Rashida should have known better. She should have acted with more dignity & pride.”

Tlaib appeared to agree by Friday morning.

“When I won, it gave the Palestinian people hope that someone will finally speak the truth about the inhumane conditions,” Tlaib tweeted. “I can’t allow the State of Israel to take away that light by humiliating me & use my love for my sity to bow down to their oppressive & racist policies.”

“Silencing me & treating me like a criminal is not what she wants for me. It would kill a piece of me. I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in — fighting against racism, oppression & injustice.”

Tlaib has previously lent her support to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS), which Israel sees as increasingly threatening. Her positions have earned her the ire of pro-Israel advocacy groups and also of some of her Democratic colleagues in Congress.

But the quiet village of Beit Ur al-Fauqa, and specifically the view from Tlaib’s grandmother’s house, sheds at least some light on the force of her convictions.

A major highway now cuts directly through land the family says it once owned, Muftiyah Tlaib said, a thoroughfare that has altered the family’s access to olive groves and fig trees they still keep.

“It’s hard for me to reach my land on the other side,” she said. “I used to cross by walking, but once a woman was hit by a car.”

For Ashraf Samara, the head of the village council, Israel’s action toward the congresswoman is a window into the lived experience of the military occupation of the West Bank.

“This is all very strange for the media,” he said in an interview, noting that he had met Rashida Tlaib about 20 years ago. “But not for me as a Palestinian because I know the reality of occupation.”

Samara said he appreciated that Tlaib and Omar had begun to challenge traditional American bipartisan support of Israel.

“What I can say about Rashida and Omar is that they are starting to knock on the door and say something is wrong. Hopefully in the future they will change something in the opinions of ordinary American people.”

“I am proud of her,” the grandmother said of her granddaughter. “Who wouldn’t be proud of a granddaughter like that? I love her and am so proud of her.”

Despite the diplomatic spat — in which President Trump urged, via Twitter, a foreign leader to ban two elected members of Congress — Muftiyah Tlaib said her positive views of the United States remain unchanged.

When asked about Trump and his repeated attacks on her granddaughter, she brushed off the question. “I don’t know him,” she said. “I don’t care.”

“America is for the people who work hard. America is for people who take care of themselves. For me, I’m happy to sit there under my tree. It’s worth the whole world to me,” Muftiyah Tlaib said, noting she had spent significant time in Michigan helping raise Rashida and her siblings while their parents worked.

“But for her, she studied so hard. I remember I used to fill up milk for her and her brother because their mother had to work. They were worthy of the sacrifices their parents suffered, and in the end it paid off.”

“There’s a special connection between Rashida and her grandmother,” said Bassam Tlaib, Rashida’s 53-year-old uncle, a local electrician. “She supported her when she got her first degree, and when she got her second degree in law. It’s very important.”

In the meantime, Muftiyah Tlaib said she has followed her granddaughter’s career from afar. “I saw her yesterday on TV!” she said, smiling. “She looked cuter than ever.”

~Washington Post/Days of Palestine

https://imemc.org/article/meet-rashida-tlaibs-grandma-who-wouldnt-be-proud-of-a-granddaughter-like-that/

***

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