UK fumes as Israel bars lawmakers from visiting West Bank

The British government has expressed outrage after Israeli authorities blocked two United Kingdom (UK) lawmakers from visiting the occupied West Bank.

Media reports says Israel accused the lawmakers of supporting anti-Israel boycotts.

UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the move on Saturday, April 5, 2025.

He said, “It is unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning.”

“I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians,” Lammy added.

The barred lawmakers, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, said they were shocked.

“We are astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities,” the Member of Parliaments said.

They described the action as “a refusal to allow British MPs entry on our trip to visit the occupied West Bank.”

“It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness firsthand the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory,” they added.

They said the trip included visits to humanitarian aid projects and local communities.

Medical Aid for Palestinians, which organized the visit, confirmed the MPs were denied entry.

The charity said Israeli officials questioned them at Ben Gurion Airport, then deported them.

Israeli authorities accused the MPs of supporting the Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

They also said the lawmakers were not part of an official delegation.

Israel’s law bars entry to foreigners who support BDS.

Supporters say BDS is a peaceful protest against Israeli occupation.

Israel views BDS as a threat and links some activists to antisemitism, which they deny.

It could be recalled that on February, Israel also denied entry to two EU lawmakers over similar boycott accusations.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook