The UK’s Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, has strongly condemned the Israeli government’s decision to detain and deport two British Labour MPs, Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed, who were traveling to Israel on a parliamentary delegation.
This controversial move has sparked widespread political outrage and raised fresh diplomatic concerns between the UK and Israel.
Israeli Authorities Accuse MPs of Anti-Israel Intentions
According to reports from Sky News and Politics UK, the Israeli Immigration Ministry claimed Yang and Mohamed were suspected of planning to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred.” The two MPs, representing Earley and Woodley, and Sheffield Central respectively, arrived at Ben Gurion Airport with aides, intending to visit humanitarian aid projects in the occupied West Bank with UK-based charity groups.
UK Government Condemns Israel’s Actions
David Lammy called the Israeli action “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning,” emphasizing that the UK government had made its disapproval clear to Israeli counterparts. He also confirmed that British officials have been in contact with the MPs to offer support.
Lammy reiterated the UK government’s broader goal of securing a return to ceasefire negotiations to stop the violence in Gaza, release hostages, and pursue a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
Labour MPs Decry ‘Unprecedented’ Move
In a joint statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Yang and Mohamed expressed shock over their deportation, saying: “We’re 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 first-hand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.”
They stressed that elected officials should be able to speak freely in Parliament without fear of reprisal, noting their prior public statements on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the need for adherence to international humanitarian law.
Escalating Violence in Gaza and the West Bank
The deportation incident occurred against the backdrop of Israel’s resumed military campaign in Gaza, which has reportedly killed 1,249 people in recent weeks, bringing the overall death toll since the war’s start to over 50,000, according to the Gaza health ministry. The conflict began after Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel, which killed 1,218 people and led to the taking of 250 hostages.
Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, human rights group B’Tselem has documented 64 Israeli airstrikes that killed 261 Palestinians—among them at least 41 children—since the start of the war. Military operations in West Bank refugee camps in January displaced over 40,000 civilians.
UK Lawmakers, Human Rights Groups React
Dame Emily Thornberry, Chair of the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee, harshly criticized Israel’s actions. Speaking to the BBC, she said, “Israel is badly advised to try to alienate and humiliate these respected parliamentarians. They will rue the day they did this.”
The delegation that included Yang and Mohamed was organized by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), both of which have facilitated similar trips to the West Bank for over a decade.
Divided UK Response as Conservative Minister Backs Israel
While Labour figures expressed outrage, Conservative Minister Kemi Badenoch defended Israel’s right to control its borders. Speaking to Sky News, she remarked, “I think every country should be able to control its borders… I respect that decision.”
Her comments were sharply rebuked by Lammy, who responded on X: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs. Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?”
The diplomatic row over the MPs’ deportation underscores deepening tensions in UK-Israel relations as the conflict in Gaza and the West Bank escalates.
