In this Aug. 13, 2019, photo, President Donald Trump arrives to speak in Monaca, Pa. Trump is hoping to woo New Hampshire into his column heading into 2020. The president will visit the state on Thursday to hold a reelection rally. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on Israel’s decision to bar two U.S. Democratic congresswomen from visiting (all times local):

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel “is open to all visitors and all criticism,” but will bar entry to two U.S. Democratic congresswomen over their support for boycotts.

Netanyahu’s office issued a statement Thursday saying that based on Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar’s itinerary for an upcoming visit to the West Bank and Jerusalem, “it became clear that they are planning a trip whose sole purpose was strengthening the boycott and negating the legitimacy of Israel.”

The prime minister said Israel had welcomed 70 Republican and Democratic members of Congress “with open arms,” and that “there’s not a state in the world that respects the United States and the U.S. Congress more than the state of Israel.”

The decision was announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would “show great weakness” to allow the congresswomen in.

Tlaib and Omar are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, and have been the subject of repeated attacks by Trump in recent weeks, including a series of racist tweets last month.

Israel’s deputy foreign minister says the government has decided to bar two U.S. Democratic congresswomen who support the international boycott movement from entering the country.

Tzipi Hotovely told Israel Radio in an interview Thursday that “Israel has decided not to allow” Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota to visit as planned.

She says it is in keeping with a policy of denying entry to those who advocate boycotts of Israel.

Her remarks came shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that “it would show great weakness” if Israel allowed them in.

The two newly-elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank.

President Donald Trump says Israel should bar two Democratic U.S. congresswomen from visiting the country.

Israel’s prime minister and other top officials were meeting to reevaluate the decision to allow Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to visit next week. Both are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and support a boycott of Israel.

Trump tweeted Thursday: “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed” the Americans to visit, claiming: “They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds.”

Trump has spent weeks now criticizing the members, including sending racist tweets.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

Israel’s prime minister is holding consultations with senior ministers and aides to reevaluate the decision to allow two Democratic Congresswomen to enter the country next week.

A government official said Thursday that Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations about the upcoming visit of Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and that “there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format.” The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and advocates of a boycott against the country. Tlaib’s family immigrated to the U.S. from the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress. </s> JERUSALEM -- Israel said Thursday that it will bar two Democratic congresswomen from entering the country ahead of a planned visit over their support for a Palestinian-led boycott movement, a decision announced shortly after President Donald Trump tweeted that it would "show great weakness" to allow them in.The move to bar Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from visiting the close American ally appeared to be unprecedented and marked a deep foray by Israel into America's bitterly polarized politics. It is also a sharp escalation of Israel's campaign against the international boycott movement.Interior Minister Aryeh Deri issued a statement saying that after consultations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials he decided not to allow Tlaib and Omar to enter because of "their boycott activities against Israel."The two newly elected Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians. Tlaib's family immigrated to the United States from the West Bank. Deri said Israel would consider any request from Tlaib to visit relatives on humanitarian grounds.Shortly before the decision was announced, Trump had tweeted that "it would show great weakness" if Israel allowed them to visit. "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds." He went on to call the two congresswomen "a disgrace."Israel has sought to combat the BDS movement, which advocates boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israeli businesses, universities and cultural institutions. The country passed a law permitting a ban on entry to any activist who "knowingly issues a call for boycotting Israel."Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.The interior minister's statement said "the state of Israel respects the American Congress, in the framework of the close alliance between the two countries, but it's unacceptable to allow the entrance to the country of those who wish to harm the state of Israel, especially during their visit."Supporters of the boycott movement say it is a non-violent way to protest Israeli policies and call for Palestinian rights. Critics say the movement aims to delegitimize Israel and ultimately erase it from the map, replacing it with a binational state.Israel often hosts delegations of U.S. representatives and senators, who usually meet with senior Israeli officials as well as Palestinian officials in the occupied West Bank.MIFTAH, the Palestinian organization that was set to host Tlaib and Omar in the West Bank, issued a statement saying that Israel's decision was "an affront to the American people and their representatives" and "an assault on the Palestinian people's right to reach out to decision-makers and other actors from around the world."It was not immediately clear if the two congresswomen had planned on meeting with Israeli officials during their visit. Their spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The decision to ban the congresswomen could further sharpen divisions among U.S. Democrats over Israel ahead of the 2020 elections. Republicans have amplified the views of left-wing Democrats like Tlaib and Omar to present the party as deeply divided and at odds with Israel. Democratic leaders have pushed back, reiterating the party's strong support for Israel, in part to protect representatives from more conservative districts.In July, the Democratic-led House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a resolution against the BDS movement.Tlaib and Omar have also been the target of repeated attacks by President Donald Trump in recent months, including a series of racist tweets on July 14 in which he said they should "go back" to the "broken" countries they came from. Both are U.S. citizens and Tlaib was born in the United States. The two are members of the so-called "Squad" of newly-elected left-wing Democrats, along with Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts.American Jewish organizations had objected to barring the two Democrats from entering the country. The American Jewish Congress said that despite Omar and Tlaib's planned "propaganda exercise," it believed that "the costs in the U.S. of barring the entry of two members of Congress may prove even higher than the alternative."Politicians and former diplomats also spoke out against barring the congresswomen from visiting.Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro wrote on Twitter that the decision to bar their entry "harms Israel's standing in the U.S., boosts BDS."Israeli lawmaker Ayman Odeh, leader of the Joint List of Arab parties, criticized the move, writing that "Israel has always banned Palestinians from their land and separated us from other Palestinians, but this time the Palestinian is a U.S. Congresswoman."Arthur Lenk, formerly Israel's ambassador to South Africa, said barring Omar and Tlaib "would be sinking us deeper into U.S. domestic political quagmire." </s> (CNN) Rep. Rashida Tlaib said Friday she would not visit Israel after the country granted permission for her to enter the country on humanitarian grounds to visit her family in the West Bank a day after blocking her and fellow Rep. Ilhan Omar from visiting the country.

"I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in--fighting against racism, oppression & injustice," Tlaib said in a tweet. In a statement released shortly after her tweet, she said she has "decided not to travel" to the country.

Tlaib had asked Israeli Interior Minister Aryeh Deri for access so that she could visit her relatives, "and specifically my grandmother, who is in her 90s and lives in Beit Ur al-Fouqa. This could be my last opportunity to see her."

The request from Tlaib of Michigan came a day after the country barred her and Omar , a freshman Democrat from Minnesota, from entering because of their support of a boycott against Israel. Israel's decision to bar their entry was encouraged by President Donald Trump in a remarkable step both by the US President and his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to punish political opponents.

Deri announced Friday in a statement that Tlaib would be allowed to visit after she, in a letter requesting permission to enter the country on humanitarian grounds, "committed to accept all the demands of Israel to respect the restrictions imposed on her in the visit, and she also promised not to advance boycotts against Israel during her visit."

Israeli Interior Minister spokesman Barak Seri provided a copy of the letter submitted by Tlaib to CNN.

In response to Tlaib's announcement that she would not visit the country, Deri said Tlaib's "hatred of Israel is stronger than her love of her grandmother" and accused Tlaib of requesting to visit her family as "a provocation in order to besmirch Israel."

Trump echoed that criticism of Tlaib in a series of tweets Friday evening.

"Israel was very respectful & nice to Rep. Rashida Tlaib, allowing her permission to visit her 'grandmother,'" Trump wrote, adding quotations around the word grandmother. "As soon as she was granted permission, she grandstanded & loudly proclaimed she would not visit Israel."

"Could this possibly have been a setup?," Trump continued. "Israel acted appropriately!"

He later added, "Rep. Tlaib wrote a letter to Israeli officials desperately wanting to visit her grandmother. Permission was quickly granted, whereupon Tlaib obnoxiously turned the approval down, a complete setup. The only real winner here is Tlaib's grandmother. She doesn't have to see her now!"

Tlaib's family in the West Bank slammed Israel over the "conditional visit" and insisted that it is a "natural right" to be able to visit relatives.

"We reject the decision of the Israeli occupation to ban the entry of Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib. This highlights how Israel antagonizes every individual or organization that support the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and rejects every attempt at explaining the reality of the Palestinian life under occupation," Tlaib's grandmother, Muftiya Tliab, and her uncle, Ghassan Tlaib, said in a statement to CNN.

Muftiya Tlaib, the maternal grandmother of US Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, outside her home in Beit Ur al-Fouqa on Thursday.

The family statement continued, "It should be her natural right, not a favor to ask for, to visit her homeland and family."

Tlaib's relatives said they had wanted her to be able to visit as part of a delegation which was to include Omar, and are incensed by the restrictions being put on her visit.

Some of Tlaib's family members even urged her not to make the trip under Israel's restrictions, and only to come if it's an official visit as an American congresswoman. Tlaib's uncle suggested he could bring Tlaib's grandmother to visit in the United States so the two could meet.

On Friday afternoon, Omar sent a series of tweets outlining what would have been her plans once she was in Israel and her issues with the Israeli government.

"Denying visits to duly elected Members of Congress is not consistent with being either an ally or a democracy," Omar said in one tweet, referencing the "$3 billion in aid every year" the US provides to Israel. "We should be leveraging that aid to stop the settlements and ensure full rights for Palestinians."

The boycott

Tlaib and Omar have been vocal critics of Israel and have supported the boycott movement, formally known as the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, voting against a House resolution condemning the movement, which received broad bipartisan support.

The boycott movement aims to end international support for Israel because of its policies toward Palestinians, as well as its continued construction of West Bank settlements, considered a violation of international law.

Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan, who leads Israel's fight against the boycott movement, tweeted Friday morning, "The request from Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib to visit her grandmother should be approved. Especially in light of her commitment to abide by Israeli law and not advance boycotts against us."

Erdan is one of the members of the forum who met on Wednesday to discuss whether to allow Tlaib and Omar to enter the country.

Ban came after Trump intervention

The announcement Thursday to prohibit the congresswomen from visiting Israel came shortly after Trump said Israel would be showing "great weakness" by letting them in.

Trump has criticized the two lawmakers -- who are the first two Muslim women elected to Congress -- in harsh and sometimes racist terms. But his move to call for their ban in Israel reflects a new chapter in his grudge and a further erosion of presidential norms, which in the past sought to avoid instilling partisanship in foreign affairs.

Trump's comments left Israel with little wiggle room, especially for Netanyahu , who has never publicly disagreed with Trump.

"The plan of the two Congresswomen is only to damage Israel and to foment against Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement following the decision.

Rashida Tlaib, left, and Ilhan Omar, right.

Omar responded to the decision Thursday slamming it as "an insult to democratic values."

"It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.S. government," Omar said in a statement. "Trump's Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected Members of Congress."

Omar went on to say, "As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, it is my job to conduct oversight of foreign aid from the United States of America and to legislate on human rights practices around the world. The irony of the 'only democracy' in the Middle East making such a decision is that it is both an insult to democratic values and a chilling response to a visit by government officials from an allied nation."

Israel's decision to deny entry to the two freshmen congresswomen was a turnaround of a position taken last month when the country's Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer said the pair would be permitted to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories.

This story has been updated with additional developments Friday. </s> The Latest: Trump: Israel should not let Tlaib, Omar visit

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Latest on Israel considering whether to let two U.S. congressma (all times local):

President Donald Trump says Israel should bar two Democratic U.S. congresswomen from visiting the country.

Israel's prime minister and other top officials were meeting to reevaluate the decision to allow Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to visit next week. Both are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and support a boycott of Israel.

Trump tweeted Thursday: "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed" the Americans to visit, claiming: "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds."

Trump has spent weeks now criticizing the members, including sending racist tweets.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

Israel's prime minister is holding consultations with senior ministers and aides to reevaluate the decision to allow two Democratic Congresswomen to enter the country next week.

A government official said Thursday that Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations about the upcoming visit of Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and that "there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format." The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and advocates of a boycott against the country. Tlaib's family immigrated to the U.S. from the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress. </s> JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on Israel considering whether to let two U.S. congressma (all times local):

President Donald Trump says Israel should bar two Democratic U.S. congresswomen from visiting the country.

Israel's prime minister and other top officials were meeting to reevaluate the decision to allow Reps. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan to visit next week. Both are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and support a boycott of Israel.

Trump tweeted Thursday: "It would show great weakness if Israel allowed" the Americans to visit, claiming: "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds."

Trump has spent weeks now criticizing the members, including sending racist tweets.

The Israeli ambassador to the U.S., Ron Dermer, had said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress.

Israel's prime minister is holding consultations with senior ministers and aides to reevaluate the decision to allow two Democratic Congresswomen to enter the country next week.

A government official said Thursday that Benjamin Netanyahu was holding consultations about the upcoming visit of Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and that "there is a possibility that Israel will not allow the visit in its current proposed format." The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

The Muslim members of Congress are outspoken critics of Israel's treatment of the Palestinians and advocates of a boycott against the country. Tlaib's family immigrated to the U.S. from the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said Israel would not deny entry to any member of Congress. </s> JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel decided on Friday to allow U.S. congresswoman Rashida Tlaib - a critic of Israeli policy toward the Palestinians - to visit family in the occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds after barring her from making an official visit to Israel.

Under pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday he would not allow Tlaib and fellow Democrat congresswoman Ilhan Omar, to make a planned trip to Israel.

However, Netanyahu said that if Tlaib submitted a request to visit family on humanitarian grounds, Israel would consider it as long as she promised not to promote a boycott against Israel.

Tlaib and Omar have voiced support for the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement which opposes the Israeli occupation and policies toward Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Under Israeli law, BDS backers can be denied entry to Israel.

Tlaib sent a letter to Israel’s Interior Ministry on Thursday requesting permission to visit relatives, including her grandmother, who is in her 90s. It could be her last opportunity to see her, she said.

“I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit,” Tlaib wrote in the request, which was circulated by the website Ynet and other Israeli media.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement it “decided on Friday to approve the entry of U.S. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for a humanitarian visit to her 90-year-old grandmother.”

Tlaib’s office could not be reached for comment, and it was not immediately clear when she might travel.

Tlaib and Omar are the first two Muslim women to be elected to Congress, and the Detroit-born Tlaib is also the first Palestinian-American congresswoman.

Both are members of their party’s progressive wing and sharp critics both of Trump and Israeli policy.

Their official visit was to have included visits to the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and which Palestinians envisage as part of an independent state along with Gaza.

Israel had initially chosen to allow the visit, but changed course on Thursday after Trump called on his ally not to let them in. (nL8N25B3KV)

Trump has in recent months accused Tlaib, Omar and two other first-term Democratic congresswomen of color - dubbed “the Squad” - of hostility to Israel in a barrage condemned by critics as racist and widely seen as a way to drum up votes for 2020. (nL2N24J02S)

Tlaib, 43, has roots in the West Bank village of Beit Ur Al-Fauqa, where her grandmother and extended family live.

The prospects of ending the occupation and resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict under the so-called two-state solution which had guided international peace-making efforts since 1993 have all but evaporated, while Israeli settlements in the territories have expanded.

The Trump administration, which is particularly close to the Netanyahu government, has touted its own peace plan but details remain vague. It fueled Palestinian anger by recognizing disputed Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in 2017. </s> (CNN) Israel announced Thursday it was barring the entry of two Democratic US congresswomen after Donald Trump encouraged the move, a remarkable step both by the US President and his ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, to punish political opponents.

Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely told CNN on Thursday of Israel's decision to ban Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota from entering the country. The announcement came shortly after Trump said Israel would be showing "great weakness" by allowing them to enter the country.

"The plan of the two Congresswomen is only to damage Israel and to foment against Israel," Netanyahu said in a statement following the decision.

The intervention by Trump into Israel's decision-making was extraordinary enough. But the move by Netanyahu's government lent the longstanding US-Israel alliance a new partisan tinge and opened the door for fresh criticism.

Omar responded to the decision Thursday by calling it "an affront" and "an insult to democratic values."

"It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump, would deny entry to representatives of the U.S. government," Omar said in a statement. "Trump's Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected Members of Congress."

Omar went on to say, "As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, it is my job to conduct oversight of foreign aid from the United States of America and to legislate on human rights practices around the world. The irony of the 'only democracy' in the Middle East making such a decision is that it is both an insult to democratic values and a chilling response to a visit by government officials from an allied nation."

Trump's history feuding with the congresswomen

Trump has criticized the two lawmakers -- who are the first two Muslim women elected to Congress -- in harsh and sometimes racist terms. But his move to call for their ban in Israel reflects a new chapter in his grudge and a further erosion of presidential norms, which in the past sought to avoid instilling partisanship in foreign affairs.

In considering the ban, Israel cited the congresswomen's support for a boycott against Israel.

"The State of Israel respects the American Congress in the framework of the close alliance between the two countries, but it is unthinkable that an entry to Israel would be allowed to those who seek to damage the State of Israel, even during a visit," said Interior Minister Aryeh Deri in a statement. Under Israeli law, the interior minister is the one authorized to make a decision on barring entry.

Deri said he made the decision with the support of Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman said the US "supports and respects" Israel's decision to deny entry to Tlaib and Omar.

"This trip, pure and simple, is nothing more than an effort to fuel the (boycott movement) engine that Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar so vigorously support," Friedman said in a statement released Thursday evening.

Slamming the boycott movement as "economic warfare designed to delegitimize and ultimately destroy the Jewish State," Friedman defended Israel's right to deny entry to those who support a boycott of the country.

Israel's decision to deny entry to the two freshmen congresswomen amounted to a reversal of a position taken last month when Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer said the two would be allowed to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"Out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America, we would not deny entry to any member of Congress into Israel," Dermer said at the time in widely reported comments. Dermer is considered one of those closest to Netanyahu.

Democratic outrage

The move was met with a swift backlash from Democratic congressional lawmakers, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who said in a statement she was "deeply saddened" by the news.

"Israel's denial of entry to Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar is a sign of weakness, and beneath the dignity of the great State of Israel," Pelosi said. "The President's statements about the Congresswomen are a sign of ignorance and disrespect, and beneath the dignity of the Office of the President."

In a statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, called the decision a "sign of weakness, not strength," and said, "It will only hurt the U.S.-Israeli relationship and support for Israel in America. ... Many strong supporters of Israel will be deeply disappointed in this decision, which the Israeli government should reverse."

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the No. 2 House Democrat, in a statement called the decision "outrageous" and said the move "is contrary to the statement and assurances to me by Israel's ambassador to the United States that 'out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America, we would not deny entry to any Member of Congress into Israel.' That representation was not true."

Hoyer has been working since Wednesday to persuade the Israeli government to permit the two congresswomen entry, an aide to Hoyer told CNN. That effort included speaking directly with Netanyahu and Ambassador Dermer on Wednesday. Hoyer had also previously worked with the ambassador to secure the statement that no member would be denied entry.

Issues at play

JUST WATCHED Palestinians feel betrayed by Trump, Arab leaders Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Palestinians feel betrayed by Trump, Arab leaders 02:18

The boycott movement, formally known as the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions movement, aims to end international support for Israel because of its policies toward Palestinians, as well as its continued construction of West Bank settlements, considered a violation of international law.

Netanyahu further outlined his concerns, stating: "They have defined the destination of their visit as 'Palestine' and not 'Israel.' And unlike all the Democrat and Republican congressmen who have visited until today, they avoided asking for any meeting with any Israeli official, whether in the government or in the opposition."

Tlaib and Omar have been vocal critics of Israel and have supported the boycott movement and voted against a House resolution condemning the movement, which received broad bipartisan support.

Last month, Tlaib tweeted that the resolution was "unconstitutional" and aimed to "silence" opposition to Israel's policies.

Trump, who has a close relationship with Netanyahu, has repeatedly attacked both Tlaib and Omar, telling them last month to "go back" to the countries they came from. Tlaib was born in the United States, and Omar was born in Somalia and is a naturalized US citizen.

Trump called for Omar's resignation in March after she suggested US support of Israel is motivated by money in remarks condemned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle as anti-Semitic.

On Thursday, Trump said it would show "great weakness" if Israel allowed entry to Omar and Tlaib.

"It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep. Tlaib to visit," Trump tweeted. "They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is 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!"

Earlier, the White House had signaled the decision would be up to Israel.

"The Israeli government can do what it wants," press secretary Stephanie Grisham said, adding that reports Trump told Netanyahu he thought the two congresswoman should be barred were "inaccurate."

Planned visit

JUST WATCHED Tapper presses Tlaib on Israel boycott movement Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Tapper presses Tlaib on Israel boycott movement 02:47

On Wednesday, the Israeli Prime Minister, interior minister, foreign minister, minister of internal security, the head of the national security council and the attorney general all met to discuss a final decision on the issue of the congresswomen's visit, the sources said, which had been scheduled to take place from August 18 to 22.

Tlaib and Omar planned to visit one of the holiest and most sensitive sites in Jerusalem, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount. The two lawmakers refused to be escorted by Israeli security while visiting the site, as they believe Muslims have a right to pray there, organizers in Israel and America told CNN.

A Democratic congressional aide with knowledge of the trip disputed that account, saying that the congresswomen had not refused Israeli security on a planned visit to the holy site. The aide also said Omar had planned to meet with former US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and members of Israel's Knesset, though the aide did not specify which members.

The two congresswomen also planned to meet with Israeli and Palestinian peace activists and representatives of human rights organizations. They were to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Hebron. There were no plans to meet officials, organizers said.

Tlaib planned to stay two extra days to visit her grandmother, who lives in the West Bank village of Beit Ur al-Tahta.

If Tlaib, who is the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress, made a humanitarian request to visit her family in the West Bank, that would be allowed, the government official said.

But that decision would be separate from the decision to bar them from entering Israel.

Former Mayor of Jerusalem Nir Barkat, who is a member of Netanyahu's Likud Party, said he would welcome the two congresswomen into the country, but only if they would "listen and learn."

"If I would be convinced that they came to listen and learn in how this country works, how Jerusalem works, how our political system works," Barkat told Israeli news channel i24NEWS on Tuesday, "I would consider it ... convincing people that (Israel's) path is the right path is the high road I think we should take."

This story has been updated with additional developments Thursday. </s> Israel's interior minister said Friday he has received and granted a request by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib to enter the Israeli-occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds.

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian origin, asked to visit her 90-year-old grandmother in the West Bank, Minister Aryeh Deri said in a statement.

Deri's office published what it said was Tlaib's written request, on congressional stationary. In the letter, Tlaib said she would respect any restrictions and "not promote boycotts" during her visit.

The minister's decision marked yet another reversal concerning the high-profile West Bank tour that had been planned by Tlaib and fellow Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar.

On Thursday, Israel had announced it was barring the two from entry — an unprecedented move targeting members of the U.S. Congress. Israel's decision came after President Donald Trump said in a tweet it would show "weakness" to allow in the two Democrats who have been sharply critical of him and of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.

Tlaib and Omar had planned to visit Jerusalem and several West Bank cities, starting this weekend. Both are known as supporters of "boycott, divestment and sanctions," or BDS, a Palestinian-led global movement. Israel alleges that BDS targets Israel's very existence, while the movement's supporters say it is intended as leverage to end more than half a century of Israeli military rule over Palestinians.

Israel's decision to ban the two had sparked widespread criticism, including from Israeli and Jewish organization who said it was an affront to U.S. institutions to bar the entry of members of Congress.

Deri said Friday he granted a subsequent request by Tlaib to visit the West Bank on humanitarian grounds. In her letter, Tlaib writes that this could be her last chance to see her grandmother.

Deri's office said in a statement that he "decided to allow her entry to Israel and hopes she will stand by her commitment and that the visit will be for humanitarian needs only."

Tlaib's apparent pledge to conduct the visit in line with restrictions imposed by Israel was bound to anger Palestinians who had hoped the congressional tour would highly their plight. </s> JERUSALEM, Israel — Israel's interior minister said Friday he has received and granted a request by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib to enter the Israeli-occupied West Bank on humanitarian grounds.

Tlaib, who is of Palestinian origin, asked to visit her 90-year-old grandmother in the West Bank, Minister Aryeh Deri said in a statement.

Deri's office published what it said was Tlaib's written request, on congressional stationary. In the letter, Tlaib said she would respect any restrictions and "not promote boycotts" during her visit.

The minister's decision marked yet another reversal concerning the high-profile West Bank tour that had been planned by Tlaib and fellow Democrat, Rep. Ilhan Omar.

On Thursday, Israel had announced it was barring the two from entry — an unprecedented move targeting members of the U.S. Congress. Israel's decision came after President Donald Trump said in a tweet it would show "weakness" to allow in the two Democrats who have been sharply critical of him and of Israel's policies toward the Palestinians.

Tlaib and Omar had planned to visit Jerusalem and several West Bank cities, starting this weekend. Both are known as supporters of "boycott, divestment and sanctions," or BDS, a Palestinian-led global movement. Israel alleges that BDS targets Israel's very existence, while the movement's supporters say it is intended as leverage to end more than half a century of Israeli military rule over Palestinians.

Israel's decision to ban the two had sparked widespread criticism, including from Israeli and Jewish organization who said it was an affront to U.S. institutions to bar the entry of members of Congress.

Deri said Friday he granted a subsequent request by Tlaib to visit the West Bank on humanitarian grounds. In her letter, Tlaib writes that this could be her last chance to see her grandmother.

Deri's office said in a statement that he "decided to allow her entry to Israel and hopes she will stand by her commitment and that the visit will be for humanitarian needs only."

Tlaib's apparent pledge to conduct the visit in line with restrictions imposed by Israel was bound to anger Palestinians who had hoped the congressional tour would highly their plight.
Two American Muslim congresswomen, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib, are barred from entering Israel before a planned visit to the country due to their support of the BDS movement, a decision which was encouraged by U.S. President Donald Trump.