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Democratic Strategist Has To Be Reminded That Trump Didn’t Ban Omar And Tlaib From Israel

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
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Democratic strategist Laura Fink had to be reminded during a Fox News segment Monday that President Donald Trump was not responsible for banning two freshman Democrats from Israel.

WATCH:

“Your World With Neil Cavuto” guest host Charles Payne asked Fink to respond to a press conference held Monday afternoon by Democratic Michigan Representative Rashida Tlaib and Democratic Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar, and she began by defending their criticisms of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (RELATED: Reps. Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib Blocked From Entering Israel)

“Well, although the two congresswoman are alone in being the first to ever be barred from a nation that we consider our ally and encouraged by our own president, they are not alone in criticizing Benjamin Netanyahu and his policies,” Fink said. “This is an unpopular prime minister among his own people, it’s someone who couldn’t form a government in May. And he will be up for reelection again in the coming months in September.”

Fink then pivoted to blame the president for banning the two congresswomen from Israel even though Netanyahu was the one who made the determination. “However, I do think that this does in fact ratchet up the tension and the criticism by banning them, and by President Trump choosing to ban them,” she continued.

“It creates an environment where Middle East peace and the advancement of the is really Israeli people is stymied and is limited. And so ultimately, by singling out these congresswomen and restricting their speech, he has eroded the possibility for progress and for Israeli peace and for people on both sides of the West Bank,” Fink concluded, appearing to argue that the president had restricted the speech of both Omar and Tlaib in spite of the fact that they had just concluded a nationally televised press conference.

Before moving to the next person on the panel, Payne interjected, “President Trump doesn’t make the decision on who can go to Israel or not. This was Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision.”