An Israeli parliamentary delegation is cancelling its planned visit to Washington DC later this month because the US State Department has denied entry to MP Michael Ben Ari, a far right MP with deep ties to the Kach Party, banned in Israel and listed as a terrorist organization in the United States.
The US had already denied Ben Ari’s visa last month, and consular officials later said it was “based on the State Department’s prerogative to ban terrorists from entering the country.” Israeli officials had sought to reverse the decision, arguing that no official in the Israeli government could be banned for terrorist ties.
This is actually a long-standing problem for Ben Ari, who had previously been unable to secure a visa in 2009 because off his history of arrests. Ben Ari responded to the latest ban by saying it was typical of “American blindness” that caused 9/11.
Ben Ari had been arrested in 2009 as part of a group of settlers that attacked Palestinian farmers and chopped down a large number of olive trees in the West Bank. He argued that this arrest was in violation of his immunity as a member of parliament.
The Israeli Knesset’s speaker says it is “unacceptable” to label any member of the parliament a “terrorist” as the US has apparently done. This is particularly interesting given the large numbers of times the MPs themselves have angrily condemned Arab MPs within the Knesset as terrorists and demanded that they be arrested or deported.
Unacceptable my ass. More self righteous arrogance from God's chosen Critters. American's blindness that caused 9-11 was not waking up to the real perpetrators.The USSA's dearest ally " The Mossad " Shalom
Israel has a long history of "terrorists" in the highest echelons of it's government – from the beginning.
Begin, Shamir; just to name two of the best known who became PMs and beneficiaries of $3billion per year in US taxpayer funds.
The last sentence of the little article points out the Hypocrisy and Chutzpah (shameless audacity) of the Israelis. We should also ask what were they up to on the trip. Would it have been more whining and pleading for an assist in attacking Iran?
If the shoe fits…
Israel came into being as a terrorist state and remains even more so today. Every one of Israel's leaders have been notorious terrorist with Benjamin Netanyahu one of the worst yet.
seems to me that is the history of its protector also, birds of a feather f..ck together
Israel is NOT our friend! REMEMBER the USS LIBERTY!!
I wish most Israeli politicians would cancel their trips to the US. Most of the time they come seeking money, and America has enough panhandlers already. We don't need to import more from the ME.
How ironic. Still, using that sort of logic, and considering all the warmongering being perpetrated by our own government, you could label Obama and Co. the very same thing.
Well, well, well- what comes around goes around.
Do they have chickens in Israel, and are they FINALLY coming home to roost?
It sure sounds weird? A member of a known terrorist organization wants to come here but we deny him a visa. Dah, are we not after terrorists and killing them left and right, and sometimes in the center? Why not let the terrorist come to us and then shoot him on sight? That’ll save us sending out a drone to kill him.