Two Labour MPs who were detained and denied entry into Israel have spoken out over the incident in the Commons.
Yuan Yang said hundreds of MPs had written to her to “express their solidarity” since she was forced to abort a visit to the occupied West Bank over the weekend. She said: “It has united us as British parliamentarians, who stand together against this unprecedented treatment of our fellow MPs.”
In a defiant message, the MP Earley and Woodley added: “So far in this Parliament the conflict in Gaza has been referenced over a 1,000 times by British MPs and I have made five of those references in this chamber.
“If my experience proves anything it is what we say in this chamber matters and I’ll encourage other MPs to continue speaking on this issue. People around the world are listening to us, our voice is powerful, and we must continue to use it without fear or favour.”
Abtisam Mohamed – the Labour MP for Sheffield Central – said it had been a “challenging few days” and described the incident as “unprecedented”. She said: “We were denied entry based on our legitimate political opinions which are firmly aligned with international law. We are not the only ones speaking about the atrocities. We are not the only ones calling for change.
“We are not the only ones saying that the current actions of the Israeli government must change. Indeed, many Israeli people and charities themselves in Israel are also calling for change. She added: “This act was not just a diplomatic affront. This wasn’t about security, it was about control and censorship. No state, however powerful, should be beyond criticism.”
The chairwoman at the Foreign Affairs Committee, Emily Thornberry, also said the treatment of the two MPs as an “insult” to Parliament. Over the weekend the Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the treatment of his colleagues as “unacceptable” and “deeply concerning”.
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Speaking in the Commons on Monday, the Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer told MPs: “It is my understanding that this is the first time a British MP has been barred from entering Israel.” He added: “That decision appears to have been taken on the basis of comments made in this chamber.
“As the Foreign Secretary has made clear, as I am sure almost every member of this House will agree, their treatment is unacceptable and it is deeply concerning. It is no way to treat democratically-elected representatives of a close partner nation. We have made this clear at the highest levels in Israel.”
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