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As someone one who has argued that Israel should admit Omar & Tlaib - not out of some false demand of "openness" but to avoid opportunity for Dems to use their barring as a pretext to slam Israel, I must also say that decision to bar them is legitimate and understandable (THREAD)
Countries routinely deny visas to those with extremist views. The US excludes people for ideologies fundamentally hostile to US (ie communism); the UK and others deny entry to public figures with bigoted views as being "not conducive to the public good." Omar/Tlaib qualify.
But it is likely that Democrats will take the easy way out, pouncing on the visa denial to slam Israel, instead of reckoning with the anti-Semitism in their midsts.
One thing the visa denial is NOT about is hiding from criticism. Israel allows entry to vocal and 1-sided critics all the time. See the speakers' series at any Israeli university. This is about avoiding massive public disorder and risk to lives at Temple Mt & Gaza fence.
