While taking questions from the press on Tuesday, President Trump responded to comments made by Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MN), who called to cut aid from Israel.
The President slammed the idea of cutting off aid and pushed back at Democrats who defend the anti- Semitic congresswomen.
Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar held a press conference on Monday after they were denied entry to Israel last week. The two congresswomen canceled their planned trip, despite Israel granting permission to enter the Jewish state on humanitarian grounds.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar said on Monday that the United States should rethink its policy of aid to Israel after she and Tlaib were denied entry to the Jewish state.
“We have a constructive role to play. We give Israel more than $3 billion in aid every year. This is predicated on there being an important ally in the region and the only democracy in the Middle East, but denying visits to duly elected members of Congress is not consistent with being an ally. And denying millions of people freedom of movement or expression or self-determination is not consistent with being a democracy,” Omar said.
Asked if there should be any change to U.S. aid to Israel, the President responded, “No. And you should see the horrible things Tlaib has said about Isreal. And AOC plus 3, that’s what I call them. Just take AOC plus 3. You should see the things that the four of them said about Israel over the last couple of years.” (Continued Below)
“Omar is a disaster for Jewish people,” President Trump continued. “I can’t imagine if she has any Jewish people in her district that they could possibly vote for her. But what Omar has said, what Tlaib has said.”
“And then, yesterday I noticed for the first time, Tlaib with the tears,” Trump said referring to Rashida crying during the press conference the congresswomen held. “All of sudden she starts with tears. And, I don’t buy it.”
The President brought up when Tlaib was thrown out of a campaign rally before she was elected Congress: “I don’t buy it for a second because I’ve seen her in a very vicious mood at campaign rallies, my campaign rallies before she was a congresswoman. I said, ‘who is that?’ And I saw a woman that was violent, vicious, and out of control. And all of a sudden I see this person who is crying because she can’t see her grandmother. She can see her grandmother; they gave her permission to see her grandmother, but she grandstanded. She didn’t want to do it,” the Commander in Cheif said. (Continued Below)
President Trump said it was Israel’s decision to ban Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement Thursday: “No country in the world respects America and the American Congress more than the State of Israel. As a free and vibrant democracy, Israel is open to critics and criticism with one exception: Israeli law prohibits the entry into Israel of those who call for and work to impose boycotts on Israel, as do other democracies that prohibit the entry of people who seek to harm the country.”
“In fact, in the past the US did this to an Israeli member of Knesset, as well as to other public figures from around the world. Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar are leading activists in promoting the legislation of boycotts against Israel in the American Congress,” he said.
Benjamin Netanyahu continued, “Only a few days ago, we received their itinerary for their visit in Israel, which revealed that they planned a visit whose sole objective is to strengthen the boycott against us and deny Israel’s legitimacy.”
“For instance: they listed the destination of their trip as Palestine and not Israel, and unlike all Democratic and Republican members of Congress who have visited Israel, they did not request to meet any Israeli officials, either from the government or the opposition. A week ago, Israel warmly welcomed some 70 Democratic and Republican members of Congress, who expressed broad bipartisan support for Israel, which was also demonstrated a month ago in a resounding bipartisan vote against BDS in Congress,” Netanyahu added. (Continued Below)
President Trump continued, “That’s a decision of Israel and I don’t think they want to. When you read the things that they’ve said about Isreal, how bad… and if you look at their itinerary before they found out– that was all going to be a propaganda tour against Israel. I don’t blame Israel for doing what they did. I have nothing to do with it. I think it would’ve been very bad to let them in, including the four. I’m talking about the four, but these two that wanted to get in, Omar and Tlaib.
“I can’t even believe that we are having this conversation. Five years ago, the concept of even talking about this, even three years ago– of cutting off aid to Israel because of two people that hate Israel and hate Jewish people. I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Where has the Democratic party gone? President Trump asked. “Where have they gone where they’re defending these two people over the state of Israel?”
The President said that any Jewish person that votes for a Democrat shows “a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.” (Videos below)
President Trump’s remarks; watch:
Rashida being removed from a 2016 Trump rally:
Is this Rashida Tlaib getting removed from a 2016 Trump rally for acting like a rabid animal?
— StayFrosty.357 (@ASimplePatriot) July 21, 2019
