Rabat — UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy issued a statement on Saturday, April 5, condemning Israel’s detention and deportation of two British MPs earlier on the same day.
Labour party MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed flew from London to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation, intending to visit the Occupied West Bank. However, according to the Israeli immigration ministry, as cited by local media, they were denied entry after they were believed to have alleged plans “to document the activities of security forces” and spread what they termed as “anti-Israel hatred.“
In his statement, Lammy called Israel’s actions “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,” said Lammy.
He added, “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.”
Yang and Mohamed released a joint statement on X, expressing their shock over what they described as an “unprecedented step” by the Israeli authorities to refuse their entry on their trip to visit the occupied West Bank.
The MPs stressed the importance of allowing parliamentarians to witness the situation on the ground in the occupied Palestinian territories. They noted that they were among “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.”
“Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted,” they added.
Some observers have criticized what they as a degree of naivety on the part of Lammy and the MPs, arguing that Israel’s actions are consistent with its broader conduct and its widely publicized genocide carried out with the support of several countries — including the UK.
In 2024, Israel barred United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, labelling him “undesirable.” Earlier this year, European Union lawmakers Lynn Boylan and Rima Hassan were also denied entry at the Ben-Gurion Airport and deported, accused of advocating boycott calls against Israel.
Israel’s lies exposed
The detention of the British MPs comes as Israel faces backlash after a video from one of the 15 Palestinian medics killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in March went viral. The video refuted Israel’s claims that the victims’ vehicles did not have emergency signals on when troops opened fire on them in southern Gaza.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) first found the “torn apart” body of Palestinian Civil Defense member Anwar al-Attar, along with four destroyed and buried PRCS ambulances, on March 27.
On March 30 – eight days after they were kidnapped and on the day of Eid Al Fitr in Palestine – the PRCS and the Palestinian Civil Defense in Rafah, southern Gaza confirmed that 14 missing medics were in fact murdered by the IOF. The search for medic Asaad al-Nasasra still continues.
