The Cruelty Is The Point, Con't

As I said last week, there was very little doubt that the Netanyahu government of Israel would risk angering Donald Trump over banning two Democratic Muslim congresswomen from the country.  Today Israel made it clear they will do whatever it takes to stay in Trump's good graces.

Israel will bar Democratic Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country as part of a landmark visit, in a move that is already fueling a political firestorm in Washington.

Omar and Tlaib — the first two Muslim women in Congress — were slated to arrive this weekend, but President Donald Trump had lobbied Israeli leaders to block them from entering the country and lashed out again at the pair on Thursday.

The controversial decision announced by Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely comes despite pleas from top lawmakers in both parties to allow the delegation visit to take place.

“The decision has been made. The decision is not to allow them to enter,” Hotovely told an Israeli radio station.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, who returned from his own visit to Israel this month, repeatedly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to allow the freshman lawmakers to enter the country, only to be rejected.

Hoyer and other pro-Israel Democrats like Nita Lowey of New York, Brad Schneider of Illinois, Ted Deutch of Florida and Josh Gottheimer of New Jersey also personally lobbied Ron Dermer, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., to allow the visit.

And the trip got a bipartisan endorsement after Hoyer and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced their support for the Omar-Tlaib visit during a press conference last week in Jerusalem.

But Trump slammed Tlaib and Omar — two fierce critics of the president who have called for his impeachment — on Twitter Thursday morning and encouraged Israel to block them.

"It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds," Trump said. "Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace!"

And so Israel did what it was told, because Donald Trump wanted to hurt two black Muslim women who dared to oppose him, and the message that he now has the power to do as much harm as he can to anyone who wrongs him, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.  He's even dragging other countries into doing his bidding now.

A sitting US leader openly exacting revenge against his political opposition like this is repugnant.

But only if people actually do "do something about it".

So the question is what do Democrats do about this?  Will they be cowards like the GOP that now openly fears Trump and will do whatever he wants?  Will they be cowards like Israel's government and do whatever Trump wants?

Because if the answer is "nothing" then it's not repugnant.

It's the new normal.