Two members of the British Parliament who traveled to Israel have been denied entry and sent back to their country. The two MPs, Zarah Sultana and Apsana Begum, who belong to the UK Labour Party, traveled to Israel as part of a delegation from the British Parliament. Upon arrival in Israel, they were informed that they would not be allowed to enter the country. The two MPs were denied entry and sent back to their country because Israel claimed they were traveling to observe Israeli military activities and disseminate information to incite hatred against Israel.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said Israel’s action would only increase people’s antipathy towards that country. He said it was a matter of concern and that he had clearly told senior Israeli government officials that this was not how a British MP should be treated under any circumstances. He also said he had spoken to the two MPs to ensure they were with the returned delegation. Cameron added that the British government’s main focus is on ending the inhumane attacks by Israelis in Gaza, Palestine, by reviving the ceasefire agreement that Israel has violated, and discussing how to stop the bloodshed. He also said that freeing hostages is a priority for the UK.
In response to the incident, the two MPs involved, Sultana and Begum, issued a joint statement. The statement said both were shocked by Israel’s decision. It also noted that it is essential for British MPs to have the opportunity to see how things are unfolding in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel. The statement also highlighted that out of many MPs, these two had been speaking in Parliament about the Palestine-Israel issue in recent months and calling for adherence to international laws. The statement also said that MPs should have the freedom to speak truthfully in Parliament without fear of becoming targets.
Last year, Israel also banned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres from entering Israel. Additionally, in February, Israel barred two British MPs from entering. This latest ban on British MPs comes after Israel killed 15 Palestinian doctors affiliated with the Red Crescent in an inhumane attack. Although Israel claimed they attacked the vehicle carrying the doctors because its emergency signals were not on and they didn’t know it was a Red Crescent vehicle, a video from the phone of one of the martyred doctors has exposed this as a blatant lie to the whole world. The video shows that the vehicle’s signal lights were on when the Israelis attacked, and it was clearly identifiable as a Red Crescent vehicle. Israel has faced severe criticism over this attack.
