Overview

• Labour MPs Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang were detained for six hours and denied entry to Israel while attempting to visit the West Bank as part of a parliamentary delegation.
• Israeli authorities justified the entry ban by accusing the MPs of promoting boycott campaigns, spreading false claims, and supporting sanctions against Israeli ministers.
• UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy condemned the treatment of the MPs as 'unacceptable,' adding to diplomatic tensions between the UK and Israel.
• Labour backbencher Melanie Ward claimed the ban 'smacks of racism,' arguing that the MPs, both women of colour, were treated differently than white parliamentarians on similar visits.
• The incident has intensified scrutiny of Israel's policies and raised concerns about the balance between state security measures and democratic oversight in conflict zones.