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Israel Will Allow Rep. Rashida Tlaib To Enter Country For Humanitarian Visit

(CNN) -- Israel has granted permission for Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib 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.

"Congresswoman Tlaib has sent tonight a letter to Minister Deri in which she 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," Interior Minister Aryeh Deri said Friday in a statement announcing his decision.

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.

Tlaib had asked 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."

"I will respect any restrictions and will not promote boycotts against Israel during my visit," Tlaib promised in the letter.

The boycott movement, formally known as the Boycott, Divest, and Sanctions (BDS) 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.

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

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 Reps. Tlaib and Omar to enter the country.

The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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