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I think TPM Reader JG is right that I may have missed an element of this. It doesn’t change the big picture. Israel’s relationship is with the U.S., not the Republican Party or Donald Trump. So they are responsible for what they do and the repercussions it has for the future of the U.S.-Israel relationship.
I’m still a bit unclear on the precise mix of push and pull. I suspect Netanyahu’s caretaker government was divided. But Trump does seem to have pushed them over the edge. They had earlier signaled they would okay the visit. Trump was reported to have been pushing them to deny entry. Overnight unofficial reports said Israel was moving toward denying entry. Then after Trump’s tweet, and seemingly in response, they made it official.
From TPM Reader JG …