Two UK Labour MPs were deported from Israel after authorities accused them of planning to document Israeli forces and promote anti-Israel views.
Two members of the UK’s ruling Labour Party were denied entry into Israel and subsequently deported.
Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were turned away due to suspicions that they intended to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred,” according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry cited by Sky News on Saturday.
The two lawmakers had reportedly arrived at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport on Saturday, flying in from London’s Luton Airport.
Sky News reported that the Israeli ministry disputed the pair’s claim that they were visiting “as part of an official parliamentary delegation,” claiming that the assertion “false.”
On Sunday, Mohamed and Yang issued a joint statement expressing that they were “astounded” to be refused entry into the country.
A joint statement from @YuanfenYang and me on the Israeli authorities' refusal to admit us entry to the occupied West Bank: pic.twitter.com/i9Ild0RDAv
— Abtisam Mohamed (@Abtisam_Mohamed) April 6, 2025
“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, firsthand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” they said, noting that their trip had been arranged with UK charities.
“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,” the statement continued.
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy addressed the situation in a statement issued late Saturday, affirming that the MPs were indeed part of a parliamentary delegation and calling their treatment “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning.”
“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support,” he said.
Lammy also reiterated that “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.”
Ongoing Genocide
The renewed Israeli violence on March 18 has broken a ceasefire that began on January 19. The latest military actions have killed hundreds of Palestinians and injured many more, primarily civilians, including women and children.
While the violations have been condemned by numerous countries and human rights groups, the US has continued its support for Israel, asserting that the military campaign was carried out with prior knowledge and approval from Washington.
Since October 2023, Israel has killed over 50,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and left Gaza in ruins.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in the enclave.
(PC, AA, NBC)
Smokescreen 101…
Send weapons for the ZioNazis to murder innocent men, women and children, paramedics, humanitarians, then complain when Wasrael refuses entry to the inspectors. David Lammy has done almost nothing, and even went so far as to question the use of the word genocide in describing the relentless slaughter over the past 18 months. He spoke about Hamas terrorists, yet coddled Israel, gently scolding them. Lammy is a self-proclaimed Zionist. He was only critical of Israel’s conduct to save face, in my opinion.
https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2024-09-02/debates/F5A06C09-84E1-4788-AF6F-E1560E2B25D3/MiddleEastUpdate#contribution-78DA6459-BB53-4645-8872-CB7C4F535069
“unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning” — But, “bombs away!” One hand wringing his tie with frustration, one hand grasping the bloody shekels.