Report: Pro-BDS org that sponsored US congressmen’s 2016 Israel visit was same one behind Omar, Tlaib’s canceled trip

The US political news site Politico reports that the pro-BDS organization cited by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the reason for barring entry to Israel for US congresswomen Rashida Tlaiba and Ilhan Omar has in fact sponsored other authorized trips to Israel for members of Congress.

“The itinerary of the two congresswomen reveals that their sole purpose is to harm Israel and increase incitement against it. In addition, the organization that is funding their trip is Miftah, which is an avid supporter of BDS, and among whose members are those who have expressed support for terrorism against Israel,” Netanyahu said last week.

But according to Politico, in 2016, Democratic Reps. Matt Cartwright (Pennsylvania), Dan Kildee (Michigan), Mark Pocan (Wisconsin), Luis Gutierrez (Illinois.) and Hank Johnson (Georgia) all went on a five-day trip to Israel and the West Bank sponsored by the group.

“And on that trip,” notes Politico, “the members of Congress listed their destination as “Palestine – Jerusalem – Ramallah” — not Israel,” similar to Tlaib and Omar’s itineraries.

“Those members of Congress stayed in Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Ramallah. They met with PLO officials and Miftah board members, went to Hebron and met with its mayor, and tried to tour Gaza, but were prevented by the Israeli government,” the report adds.