Last weeks’ drama from representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar was nothing but a political stunt deliberately enacted to foster the Israel-is-a-bully-the-Palestinians-are-innocent-victims narrative. The theatrics began after Israel told the two anti-Semitic women they wouldn’t be allowed to visit ~

Israel turned Omar and Tlaib away because they support the anti-Israel “boycott, divestment, sanctions” (BDS) movement, which aims to choke Israel economically. The Israeli government granted Tlaib a humanitarian visa to visit her grandmother in a Palestinian village, but Tlaib canceled her trip because a condition of her visit was that she not advocate for a boycott of Israel.

The press conference the two held to express their outrage at being foiled from demonizing Israel was full of taqiyya*; Zionist Organization of America (ZOA)fact-checked their outrageous assertions. Here are a few of the more egregious examples:

Tlaib/Omar repeatedly falsely claimed that Israel occupies “Palestinian land” and demanded an “end to occupation” – their Orwellian method of calling for Israel’s destruction: In fact, Israel is not an “occupier” because Israel, Judea/Samaria (a/k/a the West Bank) and Jerusalem are all lands designated for the Jewish homeland, both historically and under binding international law. There has never been a state of “Palestine,” ever. The only way one can be an “occupier” is to occupy another nation’s sovereign land. Israel is not, and cannot be an “occupier” of her own land. Additionally, the Palestinians rejected a state 4 times in the last 19 years on virtually all the disputed lands—because it required them accepting Israel as a Jewish State and agreeing to no further claims.
 
Tlaib/Omar falsely claimed that they were prevented from doing their jobs: In fact, neither Tlaib nor Omar is on the Middle East subcommittee, and thus have no direct role regarding these issues. Tlaib and Omar’s real job is to serve their Congressional districts in Minnesota and Missouri, instead of abusing their positions to bash and spread falsehoods about Jews and Israel.
 
Tlaib/Omar falsely and outrageously compared Israel to apartheid South Africa – while calling for discrimination against Jews: Israel has absolutely no comparison to apartheid South Africa. Israeli-Arabs are full Israeli citizens, Supreme Court judges, and members of the Israeli Knesset (parliament). Israeli Arabs vote in Israel’s elections, serve side-by-side with Jews in every occupation, etc. That’s the opposite of “apartheid.”
 
Tlaib falsely claimed that Trump is pitting Jews and Muslims against one another, when in fact radical Jew-haters Tlaib/Omar are creating the division. ZOA has documented Tlaib’s and Omar’s repeated antisemitic anti-Israel tweets, statements, proposed legislation, and terrorist affiliations.

 
As representatives of the United States one would hope these two might be a bit more loyal to the country – and less inclined to cause so much friction with our closest ally in the Middle East.
 
In an article published at Gatestone Institute, Bassam Tawil, a Muslim-Arab based in the Middle East, offered some valuable advice for Ms. Tlaib ~ How a US Congresswoman Can Help Palestinians ~

It would have been helpful had the Palestinian-American Congresswoman made an effort to persuade Palestinian Authority officials to resume their relations with the US administration and explore ways of boosting the Palestinian economy and improving living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
As a Congresswoman, she should be working to build, and not destroy, bridges between her people and the US. Her fierce attacks on Israel and the US administration, however, embolden Palestinian hardliners and fuel hate against Israelis and Americans.

(Exactly the intention?)
 
Before launching this little charade, Rep. Tlaib neglected to mention one of the terrorist-connected co-sponsors of her trip ~

Miftah is a not-for-profit organization founded by Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). Miftah promotes destroying Israel through economic strangulation, such as boycotts, has referred to a suicide bombing as “Palestinian women dedicated to sacrificing their lives for the cause,” and has promoted the medieval blood libel that Jews kill Christian children to use their blood to bake matzoh. The itinerary Miftah had planned included “no meetings planned with Israeli officials of any political persuasion, including Arab lawmakers.” As the journalist Charles Sykes noted, “Praising suicide bombers and pushing blood libel is not ‘criticizing Israeli policy.'”

 
Oddly enough, it seems Tlaib isn’t even in touch with the average Palestinian. Many of them seem to finally be growing weary of the incessant infighting between their terrorist leaders ~

While Tlaib is using the controversy surrounding her visit as an excuse to launch scathing attacks on Israel, Palestinians seem to be more worried about failed leaders in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This concern is not something that Tlaib seems to share with Palestinians because for her the only wrong-doing is coming from Israel.
 
Palestinians are more worried about the continued power struggle between their Fatah and Hamas leaders than Tlaib’s grievances over not seeing her grandmother. The Fatah-Hamas dispute, which has resulted in the creation of two separate Palestinian entities — in the West Bank and Gaza Strip — is seen by many Palestinians as proof of their leaders’ incompetence and failure to improve living conditions in the two areas.

 
If Rashida Tlaib had an ounce of integrity and was actually interested in advancing peace in Middle East, she would have taken a much more positive approach to this situation ~

It would have been helpful had the Palestinian-American Congresswoman made an effort to persuade PA officials to resume their relations with the US administration and explore ways of boosting the Palestinian economy and improving living conditions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. As a Congresswoman, she should be working to build, and not destroy, bridges between her people and the US. Her fierce attacks on Israel and the US administration, however, embolden Palestinian hardliners and fuel hate against Israelis and Americans.
 
If Tlaib really cared about the Palestinians, she should be campaigning against the Palestinian Authority and Hamas leaders engaged in a power struggle over money and power. Moreover, she should be calling for reforms and democracy under the PA and Hamas. The least she could do is demand an end to human rights violations by the PA and Hamas or demand that they hold long-overdue presidential and parliamentary elections. She could also demand an end to crackdown on freedom of speech under the PA and Hamas.

Rashida Tlaib and her scandalicious sidekick Ilhan Omar are an embarrassment to their respective districts and the entire country. They should either resign – or focus on serving the interests of their own constituents – not promote more discord between our ally Israel and the grievance-mongers in the Palestinian Territories.

 
*Taqiyya: Lying to advance the cause of Islam