As if the screams of dying children and the smoke clouds of tear gas in front of Palestinian protestors were not enough, Israel has now become Trump’s puppet.
Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu barred two United States Congress members, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, from entering Israeli land. This was a decision that completely overturned the country’s previous decision that allowed the two representatives into Israel. This dramatic change occurred due to Trump’s high influence on the Israeli government.
Before Israel made this official announcement, Trump posted a tweet that crossed an unprecedented line. The tweet said, “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit. … They are a disgrace.” According to the post, Trump feels this way because apparently these Congress members “hate Israel & all Jewish people.”
Their intentions for visiting Israel were clearly outlined in an itinerary. Omar and Tlaib specifically said they wanted to focus on creating a dialogue with Israeli lawmakers and gaining a first-hand account from Palestinian activists.
The fact that Trump has spoken and continues to speak so maliciously about two democratically-elected American citizens to the U.S. Congress is completely unprofessional. As the chief of state for a representative democracy, Trump has a responsibility to be respectful, especially to elected members of the government.
The expectation of respect from the president has already been eradicated, and this attitude is anticipated. This situation in particular causes racists and bigots to strengthen their discriminatory actions because they see the president heavily attacking people of color. It also further establishes the divide and hierarchy that Trump continues to create between white people and people of color.
This is not the first time the president has attacked Congress members of color. Trump completely falsified congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar’s polling approval rating, when as of early August, Trump had lower approval ratings than both congresswomen. Trump also told these congresswomen to go back to the “totally broken and crime infested places from which they came from.”
Additionally, by influencing Netanyahu’s decisions for his own country, Trump’s ignorance and partisan efforts continue to extend beyond national borders. He understands that these congresswomen of color are making an impact and difference by calling out all of Trump’s neglectful decisions.
Omar and Tlaib are not afraid of the president, which scares him because they see him for who he truly is. The representatives do not fall under the influence of his hateful propaganda. Omar and Tlaib use their voices to create real change and hold real power in the American government system. With that, they make the president vulnerable. Trump’s immediate reaction is to make them the faces of the hatred he, himself, spews.
Trump’s tweet shows the extreme efforts he will make to get what he wants and eliminate his opponents. It also showcases Netanyahu’s lack of strength and backbone. Netanyahu held Trump’s judgment of Omar and Tlaib so highly over his own that he was willing to sacrifice the betterment of his people and not meet with the congresswomen. By letting Trump influence a decision that directly impacts his country, Netanyahu is now another one of Trump’s puppets.
Not only were Democrats inflamed with this decision, but some Republican lawmakers and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying group, also did not agree with it. The decision was not a bipartisan concern. Even those who support Israel recognized the deep flaw in Trump’s and Netanyahu’s decision, as Netanyahu tried to defend the announcement by saying that although Israel is a democracy, it does not allow entrance “of people who seek to harm the country.”
This entry denial showcases Israel’s true cowardice and Trump’s extension of hate and racism. Trump and Netanyahu fostered this alliance and collaborated on this choice to try to showcase how Omar and Tlaib’s opinions on Israel were hateful and wrong.
In the end, the barring just makes it clearer that Netanyahu and Trump are cowards, leading their countries with violence and hideous discrimination.
