Israel Bans Omar/Tlaib

[Bengalzona]

(08-16-2019, 06:11 PM)Dill Wrote: B! always glad when you pop up on the international threads.  Question now:

When you go to the West Bank, an occupied territory, whose "guest" are you?

My take--In this case, Congresswomen were invited to Israel (and apparently Israeli-controlled territory) in what amounts to a PR move. The goal of the Israeli state is political--to manage international perception (especially American) of the occupation, through impressions created for its congressional "guests."

Not sure why Tlaib, whose family suffers under the occupation, should be expected to comply with this. Pretty sure Bibi/the Likud are unwilling to renounce control and illegal settlement of the West Bank. The less Americans know about this situation, the better, from their perspective.

So the case is not analogous to observing (or refraining from offending) local customs. Also, it is too soon to say everyone loses. There can still be a winner, unless a new Trump tweet diverts public discussion away from the myriad political questions raised by his apparent instigation of Bibi's ban.

If you go to the occupied areas in the West Bank (as you know), you have to do it through Israel because they are occupying. Hence, you would be their guest.

I think it is perfectly reasonable for a country to ask someone visiting them not to incite people within the country while they are visiting there. What if the President of Mexico came to the U.S. and, while he was visiting, he encouraged people in other countries to boycott America because of our treatment of Native Americans? We wouldn't appreciate that. Sort of breaks diplomatic protocol.