CAIR Condemns Trump's Support for Israel's Denial of Entry to U.S. Congresswomen, Urges Americans to Contact Elected Officials and Express Concerns

WASHINGTON, Aug. 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation's largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today condemned President Trump's support for the Israeli government's denial of entry to two U.S. Muslim Congresswomen, preventing one from seeing her grandmother and both from acting as firsthand congressional observers of Israel's anti-Palestinian segregationist policies and visiting one of the holiest sites in Islam.

CAIR is urging all Americans who oppose the Israeli government's discrimination to contact U.S. House Democratic leadership – and House Democratic Representatives who traveled this past week to Israel on a trip sponsored by the anti-Palestinian lobby group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) – to express concern that the largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid would deny entry to members of our own government and their party.

The Israeli government claims it will deny entry to Representatives Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) due to "suspected provocations and promotion of BDS." [NOTE: BDS refers to Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions in support of Palestinian human rights.]

That announcement came after President Trump said Israel would be showing "great weakness" if it allowed the two members of Congress to enter Israel.

SEE: Israel bars Democrats Tlaib and Omar from visiting after Trump claims 'they hate Israel'
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/15/israel-bars-democrats-tlaib-and-omar-from-visiting-after-trump-tweets-claims-they-hate-israel.html

CAIR National Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement today said:

"It's outrageous but not surprising that the Israeli government would decide to block U.S. Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from entering the country to act as firsthand congressional observers of Israel's anti-Palestinian segregationist policies, see loved ones and to visit al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites.

"Israel is exposed once again trying to silence voices who have spoken out against its segregationist political system, the occupation of the West Bank, the siege on Gaza, the demolition of Palestinian homes, the detention without charge or trial of Palestinian men, women and children, or the many other Israeli human rights abuses subsidized by American taxpayer dollars.

"What is most surprising is that an American president would call on a foreign government to discriminate against and bar elected members of Congress. 

"Elected officials of all political parties must make a choice between supporting a foreign segregationist government occupying another people or backing two American Congresswomen of color who are being targeted by a racist, Islamophobic and white supremacist president."

CAIR is urging all Americans to contact House Democratic leadership and members of Congress who visited Israel recently, listed below, on a trip sponsored by AIPAC and ask them to justify traveling to a state that their colleagues cannot enter. Concerned Americans are encouraged to follow CAIR's script when communicating with Congressmembers.

CALL MEMBERS OF CONGRESS NOW:

"I'm calling on Representative _______, who recently traveled to Israel on a trip sponsored by anti-Palestinian lobby group AIPAC, to do the right thing by publicly calling on the Israeli government to NOT block Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar from entering the country.

Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar should not be barred from entering Israel and traveling to Palestinian territories for the purposes of acting as firsthand congressional observers of Israel's discriminatory and segregationist policies, seeing loved ones and visiting al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam's holiest sites.

House Democrats must make a choice between supporting a foreign segregationist government occupying another people or backing two American Congresswomen of color. Thank you."

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives 

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CA) - (202) 225-4965

List of Democrats Who Visited Israel:

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) – 202-225-4131
Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (NY) – 202-225-5936
Rep. Colin Allred (TX) – 202-225-2231
Rep. Ed Case (HI) – 202-225-2726
Rep. Sean Casten (IL) – 202-225-4561
Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA) – 202-225-4111
Rep. Sharice Davids (KS) – 202-225-2865
Rep. Madeleine Dean (PA) – 202-225-4731
Rep. Antonio Delgado (NY) – 202-225-5614
Rep. Ted Deutch (FL) – 202-225-3001
Rep. Sylvia Garcia (TX) – 202-225-1688
Rep. John Garamendi (CA) – 202-225-1880
Rep. Jared Golden (ME) – 202-225-2943
Rep. Jimmy Gomez (CA) – 202-225-6235
Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (TX) – 202-225-2531
Rep. Jahana Hayes (CT) – 202-225-4476
Rep. Kendra Horn (OK) – 202-225-2132
Rep. Steven Horsford (NV) – 202-225-9894
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA) – 202-225-4315
Rep. Andy Kim (NJ) – 202-225-4765
Reps. Ron Kind (WI) – 202-225-5506
Rep. Mike Levin (CA) – 202-225-3906
Rep. Tom Malinowski (NJ) – 202-225-5361
Rep. Ben McAdams (UT) – 202-225-3011
Rep. Lucy McBath (GA) – 202-225-4501
Rep. Joseph Morelle (NY) – 202-225-3615
Rep. Joe Neguse (CO) – 202-225-2161
Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (TX) – 202-225-2571
Rep. Chris Pappas (NH) – 202-225-5456
Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD) – 202-225-5341
Rep. Max Rose (NY) – 202-225-3371
Rep. Harley Rouda (CA) – 202-225-2415
Rep. Brad Schneider (IL) – 202-225-4835
Rep. Kim Schrier (WA) – 202-225-7761
Rep. Donna Shalala (FL) – 202-225-3931
Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ) – 202-225-9888
Rep. Haley Stevens (MI) – 202-225-8171
Rep. Xochitl Torres-Small (NM) – 202-225-2365
Rep. Lori Trahan (MA) – 202-225-3411
Rep. David Trone (MD) – 202-225-2721
Rep. Susan Wild (PA) – 202-225-6411

Earlier today, CAIR issued an action alert urging Members of Congress to stop taking AIPAC-sponsored trips to Israel that whitewash that country's human rights abuses.

SEE: CAIR ACTION ALERT: Urge Congress to Stop Taking AIPAC Propaganda Trips to Israel, Occupied West Bank
https://www.votervoice.net/CAIR/campaigns/67903/respond

CAIR's mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos. 

CONTACT: CAIR National Communications Coordinator Ayan Ajeen, [email protected]; CAIR National Communications Director Ibrahim Hooper, 202-744-7726, [email protected]

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SOURCE Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)