Congressmembers Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib held a press conference Monday in Saint Paul, Minnesota, to address Israel’s decision to bar them from entering the country. Israel later granted permission for Tlaib to visit her family in occupied Palestine on “humanitarian” grounds, but she rejected the offer, which included the condition that she not promote the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Congressmember Omar blasted Netanyahu for trying to suppress opposition to the Israeli occupation, as well as their ability to perform the duties of their job. This is Congressmember Tlaib, speaking here about her 90-year-old grandmother, who lives in the West Bank.

Rep. Rashida Tlaib: “All I can do as her granddaughter is help humanize her and the Palestinian people’s plight. I know that when we can finally see them as deserving of human dignity, everyone who lives there will be able to live in peace. It is unfortunate that Prime Minister Netanyahu has apparently taken a page out of Trump’s book and even direction from Trump to deny this opportunity.”