Tel Aviv (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The British government expressed anger after Israeli authorities stopped two lawmakers from entering Israel in order to visit the occupied West Bank. Israel blamed the members of parliament for advocating boycotts against it.
UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy stated that it was “unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning” that two UK members of parliament were prevented and denied entry to the country.
“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians,”
he stated.
What did MPs say regarding denying entry?
MP Abtisam Mohamed, a British Labour Party politician and Yuan Yang, a British-Chinese Labour Party politician, expressed they were
“astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities to refuse British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank.”
“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness firsthand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,”
they mentioned their intention to visit local humanitarian aid projects communities.
A charity that aided in organizing the visit, Medical Aid for Palestinians, said the two were questioned when they arrived at Israel’s Ben Gurion International Airport before being denied entry and deported.
Why did Israel deny entry to UK parliamentarians?
In a statement, Israeli authorities accused the two lawmakers of calling for boycotts of Israel and said they were not there as part of an official delegation. Israeli law forbids the entry of non-citizens and non-residents who back the Palestinian-led international boycott movement, commonly referred to as Boycott, Divest and Sanctions, or BDS.
How does Israeli law target BDS supporters?
Advocates characterize BDS as nonviolent activism based on a similar movement against apartheid in South Africa. Israel considers the movement an attack on its very legitimacy and blames some organizers of antisemitism.
How does this compare to Israel’s EU MEP ban?
Additionally, in February, Israel barred two European Union lawmakers from entry, claiming one supported boycotts against the nation. Chairs the European Parliament EU-Palestine delegation, Lynn Boylan and MEP Rima Hassan were refused access to Ben-Gurion airport and forcibly returned to Europe.
Deputy Minister of Interior Moshe Arbel said Hassan has
“consistently worked to promote boycotts against Israel in addition to numerous public statements both on social media and in media interviews.”
Boylan mentioned her plans to meet with officials from the Palestinian Authority, civil society representatives, and individuals living under Israeli occupation.
