Labour MP Mood Hardens On Israel
4 min read
Labour MPs are stepping up calls for a firmer government response to Israel after two MPs were denied entry for a professional visit to the West Bank.
Labour MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, both elected at the July general election, flew from Luton to Israel on Saturday afternoon for a reporting trip.
However, they were told they could not enter the country, with Israel's embassy in Britain saying in a statement: “These individuals had accused Israel of false claims, were actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, and supported campaigns aimed at boycotting the State of Israel.”
The pair said they were "astounded" by the decision in a statement of their own.
The incident provoked anger across the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). It also came as many Labour MPs were already urging the government to take a harder line on Israel's conduct in Gaza after the recent killing of 15 emergency workers by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF).
One Labour MP in the wing of the party that is more supportive of Israel said it was “really unhelpful” for their cause and would repel Labour MPs against it even further.
“These are both ethnic minority women MPs, and it's just a terrible look,” they told PoliticsHome. “Whoever took this decision has not helped Israel at all.”
A centrist Labour MP said it was an “utterly disgraceful" move and that "the government of Israel has lost its mind."
A spokesperson for Labour Friends of Israel said the decision to detain the two MPs was “wrong and counterproductive".
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said on X, the website formerly known as Twitter, that the move was "unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning".
On Monday, a Downing Street spokesperson echoed Lammy, telling reporters: "This is about British parliamentarians, not party politics. We don't think it's productive to block parliamentarians from entry to countries."
Labour MP Calvin Bailey told PoliticsHome that Yang and Mohamed were two of his most “impressive colleagues” and claimed the Israeli government’s decision would harm the country’s reputation within the West.
“Their engagement with the horrific conflict in Israel and Palestine is based in good faith, a desire to shed light on what is happening and genuine efforts towards peace. This is yet another irresponsible and damaging step by Israel, which will further impact their reputation in the UK."
MPs regularly visit Israel and the occupied territories as part of wider trips in the Middle East.
Both Yang and Mohamed had been critical of the Israeli government and the way it had conducted the war in Gaza and its presence in the West Bank ahead of their trip.
Yang in January asked whether the government would consider placing sanctions on two Israeli ministers – the far-right Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir – while Mohamed said ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity were happening in Gaza.
On Sunday, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch defended Israel’s decision to “control its borders” and added it was “shocking” that Britain has MPs who other countries do not want to let in.
The mood within the party had been hardening before the incident involving Yang and Mohammed, with Labour MPs noticing that their House of Commons benches had recently become busier for foreign office questions about Gaza.
Uma Kumaran, Labour MP for Stratford and Bow, who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, criticised Israel’s decision to block aid into Gaza and has called for the international community to “act urgently to protect civilians”.
“The two-state solution must remain a viable solution,” Kumuran told PoliticsHome.
“Peace in the region will not be possible while civilians starve, aid convoys are targeted, and Gaza remains sealed off. Nor will peace be possible until the hostages and bodies are safely returned to their families – they must be released now."
The Labour government has said it wants to see a sustained ceasefire in Gaza, the release of all 59 hostages held by Hamas, and more aid going into the Gaza Strip.
The government's relationship with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been strained since entering office last summer. Netanyahu described the September decision by the UK to suspend 30 arms export licenses to Israel as "shameful".
However, the government is still cooperating with Israel on trade. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds last week told a room of 20 Labour MPs on Monday that the government was pushing ahead with a trade agreement with Israel. An Israeli government source confirmed to PoliticsHome that the Netanyahu regime would be happy to see a UK trade deal progress.
There is also a push within Israeli civil society for Prime Minister Starmer to visit Tel Aviv and meet more families of the hostages taken by Hamas.
