Rep. Rashida Tlaib's (D-MI)'s grandmother was thrown into the national spotlight this week when the congresswoman attempted to visit her in Israel. Initially, Israel denied Tlaib's request to visit the country because of her support for the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement. Israel eventually granted Tlaib permission to visit based on humanitarian grounds but the congresswoman declined.
At the time, President Donald Trump took to Twitter, saying Tlaib's grandmother, Muftia Tlaib, 90, was the real winner because she didn't have to see her granddaughter.
Rep. Tlaib wrote a letter to Israeli officials desperately wanting to visit her grandmother. Permission was quickly granted, whereupon Tlaib obnoxiously turned the approval down, a complete setup. The only real winner here is Tlaib’s grandmother. She doesn’t have to see her now!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 16, 2019
Muftia Tlaib is now hitting back at the president.
“Trump tells me I should be happy Rashida is not coming,” she said. “May God ruin him.”
According to the congresswoman's uncle, Bassam Tlaib, Rashida and Muftia haven't seen each other since 2006, the Toronto Star reported.
“She was going to slaughter a sheep when Rashida arrived and prepare her favorite food, stuffed vine leave," Bassam said. “Rashida sees her granny as a second mother, she has always supported her. Rashida says she owes her success to her grandmother.”
Bassam was taken back by Trump's tweet because of his previous comments telling Rashida and Ilhan Omar to "go back to where they came from."
“Trump has told Rashida and Ilhan to go back to their home countries. What a contradiction, yesterday he asked them to leave and today he asks that they aren’t let in,” Bassam said.
Although it's unlikely that Tlaib will visit her grandmother, Muftia remains hopeful.
“My heart tells me that she will come," Muftia said.