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Two Labour Members of Parliament report being denied entry to Israel while attempting to visit the occupied West Bank.
Simon Opher and Peter Prinsley were part of a parliamentary delegation intending to observe medical and humanitarian efforts undertaken by organizations, including Medical Aid for Palestinians.
In a joint statement, the MPs expressed “deep regret” that Israeli authorities had “prevented them from witnessing firsthand the significant challenges confronting medical facilities in the region.”
The Israeli Embassy in London has been contacted for comment.
A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office stated: “It is wholly unacceptable and deeply concerning that yet again two British MPs have been denied entry to the occupied Palestinian territories by Israel.”
“Minister [Hamish] Falconer and officials have remained in contact with the MPs affected throughout. We are clear with Israel that this is no way to treat British Parliamentarians.”
The two MPs were crossing into Israel from Jordan on Monday for a planned three-day visit facilitated by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU) when Israeli authorities stopped them.
Opher told the BBC that they were held in a passport office before being presented with a “legal form insisting that we leave the country” and subsequently “escorted to a bus” back to Jordan.
The Stroud MP indicated that they were denied entry on “public order” grounds and that representations from the Foreign Office to Israeli authorities were unsuccessful.
He commented: “It’s very disappointing. We are both doctors, and our intention was solely to examine healthcare facilities in the West Bank to determine potential avenues for support.”
“We were not in any way attempting to undermine the Israelis, just trying to see what we could do in the West Bank” where, he reported, healthcare is facing increasing strain.
Their itinerary also included a meeting with the British Consul General in Jerusalem, as well as engagements with Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.
Both Prinsley, representing Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket, and Opher were elected to Parliament for the first time in 2024.
Chris Doyle, Director of CAABU, informed the BBC that the organization has been arranging trips for parliamentarians for many years and that recent entry denials were “regrettable.”
He emphasized that it is “important that British politicians get to see the situation on the ground at a very serious time to determine what’s going on. It allows them to assess that situation and British policy towards it.”
Earlier this year, in April, two other Labour MPs, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, were also denied entry to Israel on another visit organized by CAABU.
At that time, Israeli authorities stated that the two MPs had “accused Israel of false claims” and were “actively involved in promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers.”
Mohamed and Yang asserted: “Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted.”
The then-Foreign Secretary David Lammy described Israel’s action as “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning.”
In April, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was barred from entering Hong Kong to visit her newborn grandson.
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