Unfortunately, whatever decision Prime Minister Netanyahu made with regard to the planned tour of the West Bank by Reps. Omar and Tlaib would have been a public relations loser for Israel.

Unlike the tour of Israel by 72 Democrats and Republican House members just completed, the publicity for the stick-the-middle-finger-to-Israel tour by the two Squad members would have been covered by the three networks, CNN and MSNBC, the New York Times, and the Washington Post as if it were the first successful climb of Mount Everest or the first moon landing.

On the other hand, Bibi's government's refusal to allow the two members to tour now is being made to look as if Israel is afraid of criticism, which is nonsense.  For the record, President Trump's public call for Israel to deny the visit or it would look weak made Israel look weak.  Leaders of close allies can discuss options in private.

Photo credit: U.S. Embassy to Israel.

Israel certainly had the legal right to deny the visit and tour — it has laws specifically designed not to allow people who have endorsed the BDS movement from entering.  And Israel did approve a humanitarian visit by Tlaib to see her grandmother, which she refused to accept.