On Wednesday, MK Yair Lapid (Blue&White) tweeted: “Granted, these are two radical Congresswomen, but the decision not to allow them entry into Israel is contrary to our political interest. As Netanyahu knows well, this is a serious mistake that provides a back wing to BDS and damages even further our relationship with the Democratic Party.”
The Likud issued a response reminding Lapid of the time members of his party signed a petition calling on the prime minister not to meet with the visiting presidential candidate Donald Trump, and wondering why he hadn’t tweeted in support of that visit.
The petition, dated December 9, 2015 (see below), signed by a large group of MKs, read:
“Re: Urgent – a response to the racist speech of candidate Donald Trump
“Today it was reported that the prime minister intends to meet at the end of this month with the candidate to head the Republican party, Mr. Donald Trump.
“Trump declared this week that the US must ban the entry of Muslims totally.
“Following such a racist and scandalous statement, which received harsh responses across the US and the world, it is inconceivable that this meeting would be held as scheduled.
“We call on the prime minister to publicly condemn the statement, as well as cancel the meeting with Trump until after he reverses his statement.”
The signatories include former Communist party MK Dov Khenin, Labor’s Eitan Cabel, and Lapid’s Yesh Atid MK Yael German.
The Likud accompanied the image of said petition with the statement: “Yair Lapid, the candidate to become prime minister in a ridiculous rotation with Gantz, dares to criticize Prime Minister Netanyahu for preventing two Israel hating Congresswomen from entering the country. What hypocrisy. After all, members of Lapid’s party signed a petition to prevent presidential candidate Donald Trump from entering Israel. Why did Lapid not tweet then?”
Could be many reasons, but the message is clear: no one can escape the Internet archives.