Two Democratic members of Congress have just been barred from visiting Israel next week in a move that many fear will deepen the injured relationship between Democrats and the Jewish state and strengthen the bond between Trump and Israeli leaders. On Thursday, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blocked Congresswomen Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) from embarking on a planned trip to the country. 

Deputy foreign minister Tzipi Hotovely confirmed the ban in a statement to CNN. 

“The plan of the two Congresswomen is only to damage Israel and to foment against Israel,” Netanyahu said.

The decision came after President Donald Trump said Israel would be showing “great weakness” if they allowed the women of color legislators, who have both been very critical of the country, to visit. “It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people,” the president wrote on Twitter Thursday morning. “There is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!”

The private trip was organized by a Palestinian-led nonprofit. The women were expected to visit Israel and the West Bank, where Tlaib has family, as well as Bethlehem, Hebron, Ramallah, and Jerusalem. In the latter Middle Eastern city, they were to join members of the Palestinian Authority at the Temple Mount (called Haram al-Sharif by Muslims), a major holy site for Jews, Christians and Muslims.

The decision to block the trip comes one month after Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer said that the women would be allowed to visit Israel, noting at the time that barring them would be impertinent.

“Out of respect for the U.S. Congress and the great alliance between Israel and America, we would not deny entry to any member of Congress into Israel,” Dermer, who is close to Netanyahu, said. 

For some on the left, the Israeli government’s decision to go back on their word is proof that the decision was made in spite of the women. 

Even more, they see it as potentially damaging to an already strained relationship.

“Israel’s denial of entry to Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar is a sign of weakness, and beneath the dignity of the great State of Israel,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “The President’s statements about the Congresswomen are a sign of ignorance and disrespect, and beneath the dignity of the Office of the President.”

In a separate statement, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the decision a “sign of weakness, not strength,” adding that “it will only hurt the U.S.-Israeli relationship and support for Israel in America … Many strong supporters of Israel will be deeply disappointed in this decision, which the Israeli government should reverse.”

Netanyahu’s main grievance with the women is that they support the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Both Omar and Tlaib voted for legislation that would have made it US policy to boycott Israel; the measure was thwarted 398-17 in the House.

Since about 2005, the BDS movement has attempted to force Israel to change its approach to the Palestinians through external pressure, like demanding companies to halt business with Israel, asking consumers to stop buying Israeli products and calling on scholars and cultural leaders to stop collaborating with colleagues in the country. For supporters, the mission is much like the boycotts that targeted apartheid in South Africa in the 1980s. 

For opponents, however, the movement, and its followers are deemed anti-Semitic.

Democratic presidential candidates have chimed in on the matter as well, with some recognizing that difference in views does not equate to anti-Semitism and others directly placing their anger with Trump, who they believe helped stir up Isreali leaders with his damaging remarks against Reps. Tlaib and Omar.

“Israel doesn’t advance its case as a tolerant democracy or unwavering US ally by barring elected members of Congress from visiting because of their political views,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) tweeted. “This would be a shameful, unprecedented move. I urge Israel’s government to allow @IlhanMN and @RashidaTlaib entry.”

Speaking to Trump, Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) called the president a bigot and told him, “opposing Netanyahu’s policies is not ‘hating the Jewish people.”

Former US representative Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) added: “President Trump, you show great weakness every single day—when you attack women of color when you degrade the office of the president, and when you ask our allies to stoop to your level.”

In July, Trump told Omar and Tlaib, among other members of their “squad” — which also includes Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) — to “go back” to their countries. Tlaib was born in the United States, and Omar was born in Somalia and is a naturalized US citizen.

Julián Castro is one of two Democrats running for president from the state of Texas. As a member of the Latino community in Texas, the shooting in El Paso was personal for Castro. With the shooting fresh in everyone’s mind and Latinos in Texas arming themselves for protection, Castro released a new message for Trump. The message places the blame for the shooting and anti-Latino sentiment squarely on Trump and his dangerous rhetoric.

Presidential hopeful Julián Castro has a message for Trump about his hateful and dangerous anti-Latino rhetoric.

“President Trump,” Castro starts.

“You referred to countries as shitholes. You urged American Congresswomen to “go back” to where they came from. You called immigrants rapists. As we saw in El Paso, Americans were killed because you stoked the fire of racists. Innocent people were shot down because they look different from you. Because they look like me. They look like my family. Words have consequences. Ya basta.”

The message is being received with support from people concerned about the rhetoric.

There has been a documented uptick of hate crimes targeting Latinos since Trump took office. His own rhetoric calling immigrants rapists and criminals as well as saying Latinos are invading the U.S. has stoked anti-Latino sentiment throughout the country.

The ad comes at an important time as even U.S. citizens are being targeted by immigration enforcement because of their skin color, names, or language.

Recently, an American teenager was released from an immigration detention center after spending three weeks detained. Francisco Erwin Galicia was born in Dallas and presented his Texas ID, birth certificate, and social security card when going through an immigration checkpoint. Despite the government-issued documentation, immigration officials refused to believe his citizenship and detained him for 23 days where he lost 26 pounds because he was starved and he almost self-deported because of the inhumane conditions.

Castro’s words are ringing true for a lot of Latinos who have felt the attitude toward the community turn hateful and unwelcoming.

Social media has been filled with videos and posts about people being told to stop speaking Spanish in public. Military personnel, restaurant managers, and everyone else has been harassed by people telling them to stop speaking Spanish because they are in America and need to speak English. However, these people seem to forget that there is no official language for the U.S. so the argument is deeply rooted in xenophobic hate.

People are paying attention to Castro’s new ad and him holding Trump’s rhetoric accountable.

Castro is speaking to and on the same frustrations and fear that has many in the Latino community living on the edge. The Trump administration continues to push through policies that have a direct impact on the Latino community and claim it isn’t targeted. The gaslighting from the administration is not a mystery. It is clear as day that the Trump administration’s policies, like attacking legal immigrants using benefits, are clearly targeted at the Latino community. The fact that the administration has to release statements saying they aren’t targeting Latinos is telling of their true motives.

The new ad is convincing people to give Castro more attention in the current presidential race.

Castro is at risk of not making the next debate, scheduled for Sept. 13 – 13 in Houston, Texas. The Texas politician is close to qualifying for the next debate but is short when it comes to the qualifying polls.

Candidates need at least 2 percent support in four qualifying polls and at least 130,000 individual donors. There have to be at least 400 donors in 20 states.

Watch Castro’s full video below!

What do you think about Castro’s ad against Trump?

READ: Julián Castro: The One Presidential Candidate Taking A Strong Stand For Migrants At The Border