Foreign Minister David Lammy criticized the Israeli authorities after two labor deputies were refused entry into the country, describing the decision as “unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning”.
Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang were denied entry because they intended to spread “hateful rhetoric” against Israel, the Israeli population and the immigration authority said in a statement reported by the Israeli media.
Lammy said: “I clearly indicated to my Israeli government counterparts that it is not a way to treat British parliamentarians.”
He said that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been in contact with the two deputies to provide support.
Ms. Yang, MP for Earley and Woodley, and Ms. Mohamed, deputy for Sheffield Central, took off for the country of Luton airport on Saturday with two collaborators, according to information.
The Minister of the Interior, Moshe Arbel, denied entry to the four people following interrogation, said the population authority according to the Times of Israel.
The newspaper reported that Israel had not verified the arrival of an official visit, but in a press release, the UK Foreign Office confirmed that the group was part of a parliamentary delegation.
“The British government’s objective remains to obtain a return to the ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, release the hostages and put an end to the conflict in Gaza,” Lammy said in a statement.
The BBC has approached the Israeli population and the immigration authority for comments.
