Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) President Morton A. Klein and ZOA Chairman Mark Levenson, Esq. released the following statement: 

The Zionist Organization of America strongly supports Israel’s decision to refuse entry of Israelophobic Jew-haters Rep Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar into Israel. Tlaib and Omar seek Israel’s destruction, and are leading promoters of anti-Jewish anti-Israel boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS). They even outrageously compare boycotting Israel to boycotting Nazis.  

Israeli laws refusing entry to anti-Israel boycott leaders surely should apply to Tlaib and Omar.    

The Israeli Supreme Court recognized that boycotts, divestment and sanctions (BDS) is a dangerous “massive delegitimization campaign” facing Israel, and recognized the need to take steps to counteract this.  Israeli Supreme Court Justice Hanan Melzer accurately described BDS as “political terrorism.” Israel should not allow political terrorists into the country.  (See “ZOA Praises Israeli Supreme Court Ruling: BDS Against Israel, Judea/Samaria Is Illegal,” Apr. 21, 2015.) 

Israel should not enable a visit that will give Tlaib and Omar opportunities to propagandize for Israel’s destruction, incite anti-Jewish violence, and perhaps even use the visit for other nefarious purposes – such as carrying messages to and from terrorists whom they associate with.   

Rep. Tlaib has invited to her swearing-in Hezbollah supporters and taken pictured with them and convicted Jew killer Rasmeah Odeh; wants to cut all aid to Israel; lied, claiming Arabs “provided a safe haven for Jews” after the Holocaust; deleted Israel from her office map; and has written for Farrakhan’s newspaper.  

Rep. Omar accuses Jews of bribing Congress to support Israel; showed sympathy to ISIS; called Israel “Apartheid State;” called Israel “evil” & and “hypnotized” the world; and described 9-11 as “some people who did something”; wouldn’t answer if she supported Al Qaeda; and supports murderous dictator Communist Venezuela’s Maduro. 

Refusing entry to Tlaib and Omar will moreover protect Jews and others in America and around the world. The BDS that Tlaib and Omar promotes harms Jews on American campuses, and regular American businesses.  Tlaib and Omar should not be given the opportunity to further delegitimize and harm all of us.