Freshmen congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib held a press conference last night where they took the opportunity to blast Israel for banning Omar’s entrance and the restricted visit that was extended to Tlaib.
But as many expected, their presser was full of fibs that the mainstream media didn’t seem interested in challenging. Therefore, below is comprehensive list of false statements made by the squad members on Tuesday.
The following are false statements made by Ilahn Omar:
Lie: Omar claimed that she “planned to meet with members of Israeli security”.
Truth: Her itinerary for the Israel visit was recovered and included no such meetings.
Lie: Omar claimed that Netanyahu “suppressed her freedom of expression”
Truth: Banning entrance to a country has nothing to do with freedom of expression. Prime Minister Netanyahu has never suppressed her freedom of expression nor does he have the ability to.
Lie: Netanyahu is “deporting Omar Shakir because he has reported on Human rights violations in the West Bank”.
Truth: Shakir was denied a visa renewal by the courts for violating Israeli laws of promoting the boycott divestment and sanction of Israel (BDS) including having Israel expelled from FIFA – the world football (soccer) federation, promoted boycotts of Israeli banks and other businesses, and pressured companies like Airbnb to single out Israel for sanctions.
Lie: Referring to Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, Omar accused Israel of: “denying freedom of expression to millions of people”
Truth: Israel doesn’t deny freedom of expression to Palestinians. This is highlighted by the virulently antisemitic calls for violence against Jews that take place in mosques and on social media throughout the region.
Lie: Ilhan claims that: “we give Israel more than $3 million dollars in aid every year”
I’m pretty sure she meant ‘billion’ but either way, both statements are false. That’s because the US aid to Israel myth is a common talking point used by BDS activists. The truth is that the US doesn’t give Israel one penny. In fact, it doesn’t even loan Israel the money but rather co-signs any loans (up to a certain amount) in order to enable Israel to receive more favorable terms from the banks who actually make the loans.
The following are lies made by Rashida Tlaib:
Lie: Tlaib claimed that “as a young girl” there were “checkpoints” in the village of Or al-Fauqa, and that she saw “tanks and guns everywhere”
Truth: Tanks were never operational in Judea and Samaria from 1967 until the second Intifada in 2000 (hardly a year she could consider herself a “young girl”). Additionally, tanks have never been assigned to checkpoints in Judea and Samaria since 1967. (And if the sight of “guns everywhere” scares her, she should probably avoid wedding celebrations in that same village which usually involve AK-47 rifles being shot into the air).
Lie: The Minnesota congresswoman said that her then husband was escorted off the bus “just so security forces could harass him”
Truth: Israeli security forces are tasked with ensuring the safety of the Israeli people. This sometimes involves what may appear to be random security checks which have many times thwarted terror attacks, not to get their jollies by harassing people.
Lie: Referring to Israel’s security fence, Tlaib claimed that” “walls are destructive, not productive.
Truth: Actually, they are productive. Professor Hillel Frisch, an expert on Palestinian and Islamic politics noted a reduction in successful attacks in areas where the fence exists compared to areas where there is no fence.
Lie: Tlaib said:”I know that when we can finally see (the Palestinians) as deserving of human dignity, everyone who lives there will be able to live in peace.”
Truth: This is a common talking point among anti-Israel advocates. They operate under the assumption that if only the Palestinian Arabs had self-determination, there would be peace. But they often ignore the fact that before Israel liberated Judea and Samaria in 1967, the alleged ‘Palestinians’ enjoyed self-determination and never complained about their lack of dignity . Oddly, that wasn’t enough to prevent them from waging an unprovoked war with the Jewish state. Even under the British mandate, their dignity didn’t stop them from massacring 68 Jews during the 1929 Hebron massacre.
Lie: Tlaib insisted that: Netanyahu “took directions from Trump to deny” her entering Israel without restrictions
Truth: As confirmed by ambassador Ron Dermer, Netanyahu’s decision had nothing to do with Trump’s input. Furthermore, if Netanyahu did indeed “take directions” from Trump, he would not have offered Tlaib entrance with restrictions. That’s because Trump called for a blanket ban on her entrance.
See the full press conference below:
