Abtisam Mohamed has said the Israeli government’s decision to stop her and fellow Labour MP Yuan Yang from entering the country was “about censorship and control”.
Mohamed and Yang had been travelling to Israel and the occupied West Bank as part of a parliamentary delegation but were detained at the airport on Saturday before flying back to the UK to following day.
In a statement to MPs, Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer said he believed it was the first time a British MP had been barred from entering Israel.
He said their treatment had been “unacceptable and deeply concerning” and was “no way to treat democratically elected representatives of a close partner nation”.
On Saturday, the Israeli embassy in London said its country would “not allow the entry of individuals or entities that act against the state and its citizens”.
It said Mohamed and Yang had “accused Israel of false claims” and were “actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers”.
Speaking for the first time since the incident, Mohamed said Yang and herself had been “denied entry based on our legitimate political opinions, which are firmly aligned with international law”.
“This act was not just a diplomatic affront. This wasn’t about security. It was about control and censorship,” the MP for Sheffield Central added.
Yang, the Berkshire MP for Earley and Woodley, told the House of Commons she had “understood the risks” of travelling to the region.
“I did not, however, anticipate the risks of detention and deportation from a British ally.”
She added: “People around the world are listening to us, our voice is powerful, and we must continue to use it without fear or favour.”
On Sunday, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch backed Israel’s right to “control its borders”.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy branded her comments “disgraceful” but on Monday Badenoch said she stood by them.
Her stance was echoed in Parliament by the Conservative shadow Foreign Office spokesperson Wendy Morton.
She said the UK Foreign Office’s guidance said “Israeli authorities decide if you can enter Israel” and that “some visitors may face longer searches and questioning, including those who are considered to have publicly criticised the State of Israel”.
Morton asked Falconer if he accepted that “British nationals visiting Israel, a country that is at war, should be aware of those requirements and consider them carefully before making decisions to travel and that they therefore travel to Israel at their own risk?”
Falconer said he was “truly surprised” by her response and urged Badenoch to apologise for her comments.
He said Israel had the right to decide who came to the country but added: “On this occasion, the two members of Parliament were given clearance to enter and so it was known to the Israeli government before they arrived at the airport that they would be travelling.”
Liberal Democrat MP Monica Harding said she was “deeply disappointed” by Morton’s comments.
She also asked about a BBC report on Palestinian detainees who said they had been mistreated and tortured by Israeli military and prison staff. The Israel Defense Forces said it “completely rejects accusations of systematic abuse of detainees”.
Harding said the report was “deeply disturbing” and asked if it had been raised with Israel.
Falconer replied that the government would continue to have discussions about “concerning reports”.
Mohamed and Yang received support from Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Dame Emily Thornberry, who said their treatment was “an insult to our Parliament”.
However, Conservative Bob Blackman noted that there had been instances of the UK “refusing to admit elected politicians who wanted to come to this country”.
The DUP’s Sammy Wilson accused Labour MPs of displaying “faux outrage” and said that some in their party had in the past campaigned to exclude US President Donald Trump from coming to the UK.
