Every country, democracies included, bars entry to those who reject its authority and seek to undermine it. The United States does not allow entrance to supporters of Al Qaeda or ISIS, maintains a no-fly list of tens-of-thousands of such people, and a terrorist watch list containing 2.5 million additional names. That Tlaib and Omar are members of congress does not make them less obnoxious than other anti-Semites, it only makes them more dangerous. Nor does it entitle them to violate Israel’s sovereignty or anti-BDS law.

Democratic Party Representatives Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar support, and have ties to, organizations seeking the destruction of Israel including Hamas, as well as anti-Semitic organizations such as Louis Farrakhan’s nation of Islam. No sane, self-respecting country allows entrance to people working towards her destruction. Why should Israel accept this hypocritical anti-Semitic double standard?

Yet that is exactly what Democratic politicians are demanding Israel do. The Democratic congressional caucus could not manage a simple condemnation of Omar and Tlaib’s hateful statements about Jews and Israel but has plenty of criticism for Israel for barring them. That there is an anti-Semitic double standard towards the Jewish State is not news, that Jewish Representatives like Nadler and Schumer have so internalized it is pitiful.  Such politicians claim to support Israel while working directly against her government’s policy, laws, and interests. They now openly defend two members of their own caucus whom they know to be vicious anti-Semites sworn to the destruction of the Jewish State.

Israel’s decision to bar Omar and Tlaib from entering the country exposes these false friends of Israel. which is why they so vehemently protest Israel’s decision. To paraphrase Shakespeare: Methinks they doth protest too much.

What is more surprising is AIPAC’s defense of Tlaib and Omar’s right to create provocations, promote boycotts, and delegitimize Israel. After all it was AIPAC that Omar referred to in her infamous remark that “It’s all about the Benjamins baby.” AIPAC is supposed to be a lobby defending Israel’s positions to the U.S. congress and not the other way around.

This is not AIPAC’s first lapse in judgement. The organization supported the morally indefensible expulsion of the Jews of Gaza arguing that their charge is to support the policy of the government of Israel. Yet, here they place themselves in direct opposition to the policy of her democratically elected government. The only thing consistent about AIPAC’s position is that they were on the wrong side of both issues.

Had Israel listened to such misguided advice and allowed Tlaib and Omar into the country, we would today be witness to countless hours of their provocations in the media, and the inevitable condemnations from a liberal press predisposed to believe the worst about the Jewish State. Tlaib and Omar would have gained stature and credibility as critics of Israel claiming first-hand experience of her “cruelty and oppression.” By barring these two anti-Semites Israel has asserted her self-respect and sovereignty and the issue will be forgotten by the next new cycle.

Some U.S. Jews may be swayed by the irrational arguments being made by Democratic politicians and media on behalf of Tlaib and Omar, but Israeli voters will not be so easily fooled. Israeli politicians, like Yair Lapid, who have parroted the Democratic party line on this, will be punished in the upcoming election and Prime Minister Netanyahu rewarded by the Israeli people for standing firm against their enemies. Some say that Netanyahu does this, primarily, to please Israeli voters. And what, pray tell, is wrong with that? To whom should the Prime Minister of Israel be beholden if not the people who elected him and whom he is pledged to protect?  It is high time that Israeli politicians placed the will of the Israeli people above the sensibilities of their mortal enemies.

It is a pity that Israel’s government did not have the backbone to bar Omar and Tlaib until prompted to do so by President Trump. Nevertheless, the final decision was a good one, and an important one. The end result is a moral victory for Israel and a demoralizing defeat for her enemies.

Orignal Published Version