The Israeli government has banned two United States congresswomen from entering the country for supporting an international boycott movement.

Democrats, Rashida Tlaib whose family emigrated to the US from the West Bank and Ilhan Omar were barred for ‘negating the legitimacy of Israel’.

Mr. Netanyahu blocked the politicians’ trip, saying it was clear that the sole purpose of the trip was to strengthen the boycott and negate the legitimacy of Israel.

He added that Israel had welcomed 70 members of Congress from the two major American political parties in the past with open arms and that there was no a state in the world that respects that institution more.

President Donald Trump had put pressure on his long time ally and Israeli President, Benjamin Netanyahu to block the trip, saying it would have shown great weakness to allow it to go ahead.

Trump had previously targeted the two Muslim women in remarks which many have branded as racist, telling them to go back to the ‘broken countries’ they came from.

Israel has been fighting hard to combat a movement which supports boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israeli businesses, universities and cultural institutions over the country’s treatment of the Palestinian people.

The country has also passed a law permitting a ban on entry to any activist who ‘knowingly issues a call for boycotting Israel’.

Reacting to the development, Ms. Tlaib tweeted that the decision to bar her was a sign of weakness because the truth of what is happening to Palestinians was frightening while Ms. Omar said Netanyahu’s move did not surprise her given his record.

Omar said Netanyahu had consistently resisted peace efforts, restricted the freedom of movement of Palestinians, limited public knowledge of the brutal realities of the occupation and aligned himself with Islamophobes like Donald Trump.

“It is an affront that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, under pressure from President Trump would deny entry to representatives of the US government.

“Trump’s Muslim ban is what Israel is implementing, this time against two duly elected members of Congress. Denying entry into Israel not only limits our ability to learn from Israelis, but also to enter the Palestinian territories,” she added.