Israel bans both UK MPs

(MENAFN)
Two pro-Palestinian British Members of Parliament, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, were denied entry to Israel and deported after being accused of misrepresenting the purpose of their visit. The MPs, both from the governing Labour Party, arrived in Tel Aviv on Saturday but were questioned at Ben Gurion Airport, where they claimed to be part of an official UK parliamentary delegation, a statement Israeli officials deemed false.

Israeli authorities asserted that the MPs intended to document Israeli security forces and spread anti-Israel rhetoric. Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel ordered their deportation, stating the actions were in line with the law. The Israeli Embassy in London claimed the MPs were barred for promoting a boycott of Israel, spreading lies, and supporting sanctions against Israeli officials.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy criticized the decision as "unacceptable" and "counterproductive," expressing concern over the treatment of British MPs. He reiterated the UK government’s commitment to ceasefire negotiations in Gaza. Mohamed, the UK’s first Yemeni-descended MP, has been a strong critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, accusing the state of ethnic cleansing. Yang, the first Chinese-born UK MP, has called for sanctions on Israeli officials.

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