CHANGE OF HEART

Rep. Rashida Tlaib Granted Permission to Enter Israel to Visit Grandmother

The Democratic congresswoman was granted entry to see her family in the West Bank, but had to promise not to promote the boycott of Israel during her visit.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has been granted permission to enter Israel to visit her elderly grandmother on the West Bank. Tlaib and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) had been denied access to enter Israel under pressure from President Donald Trump, who suggested Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would appear “weak” if he allowed the congresswomen to visit. But on Friday morning, Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri approved a written request after Tlaib penned a letter overnight. “I would like to request admittance to Israel in order to visit my relatives, and specifically my grandmother, who is in her 90s and lives in Beit Ur al-Fouqa,” Tlaib wrote. “This could be my last opportunity to see her.” Tlaib also promised that she would honor any requests made of her while there, writing: “I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit.”