Israel announced Thursday it will not allow U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib to visit the country as the two outspoken Muslim American lawmakers had planned.

The decision came shortly after President Donald Trump said Israel would be showing "great weakness" if it allowed the two Democrats to visit.

"They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds," Trump said.

"They are a disgrace!"

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Omar, who represents a Minnesota district, and Tlaib, who is from Michigan, have been critical of the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinians. Israel's U.S. ambassador, Ron Dermer, had previously said they would not be denied entry.

Omar condemned the move in a statement released Thursday afternoon, accusing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of caving to pressure from Trump.

"The irony of the 'only democracy' in the Middle East making such a decision is that it is both an insult to democratic values and a chilling response to a visit by government officials from an allied nation," she added.

Tlaib called the move "a sign of weakness," because "the truth of what is happening to Palestinians is frightening."

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Netanyahu confirmed in a statement Thursday morning that Omar and Tlaib would be denied entry. They were expected to visit the Israeli-occupied West Bank on Friday.

"Congressmen Talib and Omar are leading activists in promoting boycott legislation against Israel in the U.S. Congress," Netanyahu said. "As a vibrant and free democracy, Israel is open to any critic and criticism, with one exception: Israel's law prohibits the entry of people who call and operate to boycott Israel, as is the case with other democracies that prevent the entry of people whose perception harms the country."

The Israeli leader, who has forged an extremely close and supportive relationship with Trump, claimed that Omar and Tlaib "were planning a campaign whose sole purpose was to strengthen the boycott and negate Israel's legitimacy." He cited as evidence the fact that they had referred to Israel as "Palestine" and have not attempted to meet with Israeli officials, either in the government or the opposition.