UK MPs Denied Entry To Israel Over Alleged Anti-Israel Intentions
However, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority stated their visit aimed to “document the security forces” and promote anti-Israel rhetoric.
Two British Labour MPs, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, expressed shock after being denied entry to Israel while en route to the West Bank, with Israeli authorities accusing them of intending to “spread hate speech” against the country.
The lawmakers, who were travelling with two aides, said it was “vital” for parliamentarians to witness conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories firsthand, according to BBC.
However, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority stated their visit aimed to “document the security forces” and promote anti-Israel rhetoric.
The UK Foreign Office confirmed the MPs were part of a parliamentary delegation, but Israeli officials disputed this, claiming no official approval had been granted. The group, which flew from London Luton Airport on Saturday, was questioned upon arrival before Interior Minister Moshe Arbel barred their entry.
In a joint statement, Mohamed (MP for Sheffield Central) and Yang (MP for Earley and Woodley) said the trip was organised with UK charities experienced in facilitating such visits.
They emphasised their right to speak freely in Parliament on Israel-Palestine issues without fear of retaliation.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned Israel’s decision as “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning,” vowing to raise the issue with Israeli counterparts. The MPs departed Israel by 06:00 local time on Sunday.
Mohamed and Yang, both elected in 2024, have been vocal critics of Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. Mohamed recently led a cross-party letter urging a ban on goods from Israeli settlements, while Yang has advocated sanctions against far-right Israeli ministers.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch defended Israel’s border controls, suggesting the MPs’ exclusion reflected poorly on Labour.
Labour’s Emily Thornberry, however, called the move an “insult to Britain,” praising the MPs as “potential leaders.”
The incident comes amid heightened violence in the West Bank and Gaza, where over 50,000 Palestinians have died since Hamas’s October 7, 2024 attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people.
Lammy reiterated calls for a ceasefire and hostage releases, urging renewed diplomacy to end the conflict.
