Rep. Rashida Tlaib: Israel tried to silence me with demands for trip

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It has been 48 hours of back and forth - Israel first banning Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib from a work trip. 

To then lifting the ban with restrictions so she could see her family - a grandmother in her 90s who lives in the West Bank. Then, she declined.

"It was pretty traumatic what I had to go through with the state of Israel and some of the demands that they were asking of me," she said Friday night. "My uncle, everybody was like, 'You are a U.S. congresswoman, we wanted to celebrate you. There will be a dark cloud over you if you come with them forcing you to bow down.'"

Tlaib says a letter from Israeli officials laid out what she could say and who she could talk to while in the country.

"There were demands of me that basically silence me," she said.

Tlaib and her Muslim colleague, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar originally banned for supporting a Palestinian-led boycott movement - known as BDS - against Israel.

"Thank you for uplifting peace, love and justice," she said.

An impromptu event in Detroit Friday for Tlaib set up by Jewish Voice for Peace at Pallister Park in Detroit - the group also supports the BDS movement.

MORE COVERAGE:

Tlaib declines travel to West Bank, citing 'oppressive conditions' to visit grandmother

Israel bars Rep. Rashida Tlaib over support of boycott

"We wanted to create a moment of some comfort some love and some solidarity and that's what happened here," said Reuben Telushkin, Jewish Voice for Peace.

Critics of Tlaib's say it was a publicity stunt to ultimately not go to Israel. FOX 2 asked. 

FOX 2: "Was the intent here though to create some kind of media circus?"

"No, I don't welcome this at all, I want you to know I don't," she said.

A biting tweet from President Trump in response Friday said, "the only real winner here is Tlaib's grandmother. She doesn't have to see her now."

Usually Tlaib has a response for Mr. Trump - not this time.  

FOX 2: "Do you have a message for Trump or Netanyahu? 

Tlaib shook her head no.

She said she spoke to her grandmother on the phone and said she was told by her that she wouldn't take her last breath without seeing her again.