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Two Labour MPs say they are “astounded” to have been denied entry to Israel while travelling to the West Bank. <\/p>\n
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang said that it was “vital” parliamentarians were able to “witness, firsthand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory”.<\/p>\n
They were refused entry because they intended to “spread hate speech” against Israel, the nation’s population and immigration authority said.<\/p>\n
Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticised Israeli authorities, describing the move as “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
But Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said Israel had a right to “control its borders”, adding that it was “significant” that there were Labour MPs other countries did not want to let in.<\/p>\n
Yang, the MP for Earley and Woodley, and Mohamed, the MP for Sheffield Central, flew to Israel from London Luton Airport with two aides on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n
The Israeli immigration authority said Interior Minister Moshe Arbel had denied entry to all four passengers after they were questioned. It accused them of travelling to “document the security forces”.<\/p>\n
The UK Foreign Office said the group was part of a parliamentary delegation – however Israel’s immigration authority said the delegation had not been acknowledged by any Israeli official.<\/p>\n
The MPs said the trip had been organised with UK charities that had “over a decade of experience in taking parliamentary delegations”.<\/p>\n
“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with international humanitarian law,” they said in a joint statement. <\/p>\n
“Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthful in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”<\/p>\n
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry said the MPs had left the country as of 06:00 local time (04:00 BST) on Sunday. <\/p>\n
Lammy said the Foreign Office had been in touch with both MPs to offer support, adding: “I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians.” <\/p>\n
Both Yang and Mohamed – who were first elected in 2024 – have made several interventions on the Israel-Hamas conflict in Parliament.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
In February, Mohamed initiated a cross-party letter, signed by 61 MPs and lords, calling for a ban on goods from Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory, citing an opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ).<\/p>\n She has also criticised Israel for withholding humanitarian aid from Gaza, telling the House of Commons in October that international law “prohibits the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare”, and has mentioned humanitarian organisations’ claims of “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza.<\/p>\n In January, Yang spoke in favour of bringing sanctions against Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, after they suggested building Israeli settlements in northern Gaza to encourage Palestinians to leave.<\/p>\n She has also highlighted the dangerous conditions journalists and medical professionals face while in the Palestinian territory.<\/p>\n Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that countries “should be able to control their borders” when asked about Israel’s decision. <\/p>\n “What I think is shocking is that we have MPs in Labour [who] other countries won’t allow through,” Badenoch said. “I think that’s very significant.”<\/p>\n Her comments were rebuffed by Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the foreign affairs select committee, who described Yang and Mohamed as “highly respected parliamentarians” and “potential leaders”.<\/p>\n “Israel is badly advised to try and alienate them, to humiliate them and to treat them in this way,” she told the programme. <\/p>\n “I think that it’s an insult to Britain and I think it’s an insult to Parliament.”<\/p>\n During the war in Gaza, there have been protests, violent incidents and raids by Israeli forces in the West Bank. Hundreds of deaths have been reported there.<\/p>\n Israeli troops have been engaged in an extended operation in the occupied Palestinian territory, where two Palestinians were killed on Friday.<\/p>\n The current war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.<\/p>\n Since then, Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry says more than 50,000 people have been killed. It said 1,309 people have died since a ceasefire ended on 18 March.<\/p>\n Lammy said: “The UK government’s focus remains securing a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, free the hostages and end the conflict in Gaza.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n