Democratic members of the US Congress are weighing action against senior Israeli government officials and the Trump administration, following Jerusalem's decision to bar Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) from entering Israel.
Some 12 Democratic members of Congress, among them senior Jewish lawmakers, have begun talks on how to relay their "deep lack of confidence and trust" in Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer and US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
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According to the McClatchy DC news site, the Democrats are considering releasing a statement of no confidence in Dermer and opening an investigation into Friedman's conduct on the matter.
A senior congressional aide told the site that the group was "reviewing all of our options. With Dermer, the issue is that there already was a severe lack of trust. But now, there is a severe lack of confidence. It is completely unclear that he represents his government given he has made promises that he has not kept and wasn't clear if he ever had any chance of keeping."
Among the lawmakers involved in the talks are House Representatives Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), chairwoman of the Appropriations Committee.
According to two sources in Congress, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) is also involved, although his spokeswoman has denied he is part of the talks. Following Israel's decision to ban the lawmakers, Hoyer called the decision "deeply disappointing," "unacceptable," "disrespectful" and a "self-inflicted wound" to US-Israel ties.
Last month, Dermer had said Israel would not deny any member of Congress entry into the country.
Interior Minister Aryeh Deri on Friday issued an approval for Tlaib to enter Israel, after initially barring her and Omar from visiting the Jewish state on a "fact-finding" mission. Tlaib had submitted a written request to be allowed to visit her Palestinian relatives in the West Bank, "especially" her grandmother, who Tlaib said was in her 90s.
Tlaib, however, declined not make the trip, citing "oppressive conditions" after the Interior Ministry released the letter she purportedly signed in which she promised not to advocate for a boycott of Israel during her visit.
"Visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions meant to humiliate me would break my grandmother's heart," she said in a statement. "Silencing me with treatment to make me feel less-than is not what she wants for me – it would kill a piece of me that always stands up against racism and injustice."
Following Tlaib's cancellation, Deri said her initial request was apparently a "provocative request, aimed at bashing the State of Israel."
"Apparently her hate for Israel overcomes her love for her grandmother," he tweeted.
Democrats were angered by Israel's decision to release the letter as well as Omar and Tlaib's planned itinerary. They say they are no longer confident US lawmakers can trust that their communications with Israeli officials will remain private.
The lawmakers accuse Friedman, who issued a statement in support of Israel's decision to deny Tlaib and Omar entry under its anti-BSD laws, of failing to stand up for members of Congress.
"Committees can make it very difficult for ambassadors to do their jobs," one congressional source said, "he makes it very difficult for our members to do our jobs."
