Legislators Protest US Visa Decision, Won’t Go To DC

[Purveyor]

Knesset members won’t attend a women’s empowerment conference in Washington, DC, in protest of the United States’s refusal to grant a visa to a right-wing MK, Knesset Speaker Reuven Rivlin announced on Monday.

MKs Zehava Gal-On, Tzipi Hotovely, and Einat Wilf were scheduled to participate in a panel of American and Israeli female legislators at the conference in late March. According to Rivlin, they will not be attending because of the State Department’s refusal to grant MK Michael Ben-Ari of the National Union party a US visa.

“The US’s argument that a member of Knesset is a terrorist is unacceptable and insults the honor of the entire Knesset,” Rivlin said.

Ben-Ari, a former Kach party member, was told his visa request was rejected because the US State Department prohibits “the entrance of people who were involved in terror activities or were members of a terror organization in a foreign country.”

MORE...

http://www.timesofisrael.com/mks-protest-visa-decision-wont-go-to-washington/

[azurnoir]

1. thanks for the update

and I did not think this was going to go away quietly

[shaayecanaan]

2. An interesting fellow, this Reuven Rivlin...

he seems to be some sort of advocate for a one-state solution:-

On 29 April 2010 he said that he "would rather accept Palestinians as Israeli citizens than divide Israel and the West Bank in a future two-state peace solution"

He also attracted some flak, and some liberal praise for not expelling an Arab MK after she participated in the Gaza flotilla.

I am not sure what the motive is for this boycott of the United States. Who knows, they might even follow it up with divestment. Maybe even some sanctions.