On Thursday, news broke that Israel would block Democratic Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting the country due to their calls for a boycott of the Jewish state. In response, MSNBC thought it was important to provide viewers with a supposed “fact check” claiming that the far-left lawmakers, who both have a history of anti-Semitism, didn’t “hate” Israel.
“Reuters is reporting that just a few moments ago the Israeli foreign minister confirmed that they will, in fact, block Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from entering the country,” anchor Craig Melvin announced at the top of the 11:00 a.m. ET hour. He then noted that “President Trump tweeted within the last hour, urging Israel to bar them” and read the social media post:
It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Representative Omar and Representative Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel and all Jewish people and there’s nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!
Melvin turned to White House correspondent Kristen Welker and wondered: “What’s this all about?” Welker decided to offer “a little bit of a fact check” on the topic by glossing over the anti-Israel sentiments of Omar and Tlaib:
Neither has ever said that they hate Israel or the Israeli people, they have been critical of the Israeli government. They recently voted, in essence, in favor a boycott of the Israeli state over its treatment of Palestinians and they have made some controversial comments about Israelis, Omar having to walk back some of those comments.
The reporter didn’t bother to actually remind viewers what those “controversial comments” were.
Let’s review:
In 2012, Omar took to Twitter and ranted about how “evil” Israel “hypnotized the world”:
In February, after having been elected to Congress, Omar again shared her anti-Semitism on Twitter by suggesting that fellow lawmakers who support Israel must be getting paid off with campaign donations:
In January, Tlaib met with pro-Hezbollah activist Abbas Hamideh, who in 2016 declared: “Israel does not have a right to exist”:
That same month, Tlaib also slammed Senators who opposed boycotts of Israel as having “forgot what country they represent.”
In May, Tlaib lamented that Palestinians had supposedly created a “safe haven” for Jewish people after the Holocaust and had since “lost their land and some lost their lives” as a result.
Appearing on Andrea Mitchell Reports in the 12:00 p.m. ET hour, Welker again asserted: “It also comes against the backdrop of this ongoing feud between President Trump [and] these two congresswomen, who have been critical certainly of Israeli policy, but who have never said they hate Israel or all Israelis, just to do a quick fact check there.”
Later that hour, USA Today Washington bureau chief Susan Page warned: “This is going to be costly for Israel....I wonder if the Israeli government understands the repercussions for this politically for them and the United States.”
Mitchell chimed in by predicting Israel would be pilloried by the international community:
But it’s coming a month before the U.N. General Assembly meetings, when Israel is always sort of on the world stage being questioned and being criticized, frankly, by many members. It’s a very tough environment for Israel. And this is the worst possible time to take a really outlying position, because the Palestinians have a lot more friends in that General Assembly.
Yes, the Palestinians do have a lot of anti-Semite friends in the United Nations, as well as at least two in the United States Congress.
Here are excerpts of the August 15 coverage on MSNBC:
11:00 AM ET
CRAIG MELVIN: We actually start with breaking news right now. Reuters is reporting that just a few moments ago the Israeli foreign minister confirmed that they will, in fact, block Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from entering the country.
President Trump tweeted within the last hour, urging Israel to bar them. The President writing, in part, “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Representative Omar and Representative Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel and all Jewish people and there’s nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!”Again, that tweet coming from the President of the United States.
I’m joined now by White House correspondent Kristen Welker, she’s traveling with the President. She’s in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, it’s near Bedminster, where the President’s vacationing. Kristen, what’s this all about?
MELVIN: Craig, this is an escalation, essentially, of the ongoing feud between President Trump and these congresswomen. Now, first a little bit of a fact check. Neither has ever said that they hate Israel or the Israeli people, they have been critical of the Israeli government. They recently voted, in essence, in favor a boycott of the Israeli state over its treatment of Palestinians and they have made some controversial comments about Israelis, Omar having to walk back some of those comments.
(...)
12:04 PM ET
(...)
KRISTEN WELKER: It also comes against the backdrop of this ongoing feud between President Trump [and] these two congresswomen, who have been critical certainly of Israeli policy, but who have never said they hate Israel or all Israelis, just to do a quick fact check there.
(...)
12:11 PM ET
ANDREA MITCHELL: But, Susan, we now understand that several members of the House caucus, I believe perhaps Nita Lowey and several others, had also – Brad Sherman, Josh Gottheimer – have spoken to Ron Dermer, the ambassador here, and said that this is not a good idea.
SUSAN PAGE [USA TODAY, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF]: This is going to be costly for Israel. You know, the Democratic Party is divided when it comes to the boycott movement, there are a lot of Democratic officials in Congress who oppose the boycott movement against Israel. But they are going to unite behind their colleagues, who are being denied entry to one of the United States’ staunchest allies and a democracy. For the purpose of getting – say they oppose the Israeli policy when it comes to the Palestinians, as they do, that’s part of a democratic process that they are allowed to go in there, get information, see what’s going on, speak out. I wonder if the Israeli government understands the repercussions for this politically for them and the United States.
MITCHELL: And Jeremy, we’re in an election year, Elizabeth Warren and several other members, 2020 senators, have already, you know, been very clear on this. Others as well, I believe. But we’ll be fact checking that to see who among them – this has all just happened very quickly, this reversal today.
But it’s coming a month before the U.N. General Assembly meetings, when Israel is always sort of on the world stage being questioned and being criticized, frankly, by many members. It’s a very tough environment for Israel. And this is the worst possible time to take a really outlying position, because the Palestinians have a lot more friends in that General Assembly.
(...)
