Two British Labour MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, say they are “astounded” after being denied entry into Israel and deported over accusations that they planned to spread anti-Israel sentiment.
According to a statement from Israel’s immigration ministry, the MPs were suspected of intending to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred.” Both lawmakers arrived in Israel from Luton on Saturday, accompanied by two assistants, but were questioned and subsequently deported.
Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, and Mohamed, MP for Sheffield Central, said in a joint statement on Sunday that they were shocked by the incident. “We are astounded by our treatment,” they said.
According to Sky News, during questioning, the MPs reportedly told Israeli officials they were in the country “as part of an official parliamentary delegation.” However, the Israeli immigration ministry disputed the claim, stating: “No evidence was found to support the claim… they were travelling as part of an official delegation. No politicians or government officials were aware they were coming.”
The Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), however, contradicted the Israeli narrative, asserting that the trip was part of an official parliamentary visit. The group, along with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), said they had organized the delegation.
Despite this, Israeli authorities maintained their stance, branding the delegation claim as “false.”
Reacting to the situation, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the move, saying the MPs’ treatment “while on a parliamentary delegation to Israel” was “unacceptable.”
The incident has further strained UK-Israel relations amid growing scrutiny over Israel’s handling of foreign observers during the ongoing conflict with Palestinians.
