The Foreign Secretary asks if the Tory leader would be equally dismissive of MPs from her own party banned from China
Daily Telegraph
David Lammy has attacked Kemi Badenoch over “cheerleading” for Israel, after it denied entry to two Labour MPs.
Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were deported on Saturday, after the Israeli immigration ministry said they planned to spread “anti-Israel hatred”.
The decision was labelled “unacceptable” by Mr Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, who said he had raised it with his Israeli counterparts.
But Mrs Badenoch defended Israel’s right to deny the MPs entry in an interview on Sunday and said that she had not been surprised.
The Conservative leader told Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “I think that every country should be able to control its borders, and that’s what Israel is doing, as far as I understand.
“They gave reasons why they didn’t believe that those people should come in based on their laws. And it’s really important that we respect other countries enforcing their borders.
“Those Labour MPs, according to the Israelis, were coming in to do something that they were not allowed to do, and so I respect that decision.”
Asked whether denying Ms Yang and Ms Mohamed entry seemed “a bit odd”, she replied: “I’m not surprised.”
Mr Lammy denounced Mrs Badenoch’s remarks in a post on X and insisted he would stand by his position.
Tagging the Tory leader in his post, he said: “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?
“This Government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party.”
Responding to Mr Lammy, Mrs Badenoch said: “Unlike China, Israel is our ally and a democracy. A good foreign secretary would be able to make that distinction.
“Perhaps Labour MPs could put UK national interest first and do their jobs instead of campaigning for airports in Kashmir or promoting Hamas propaganda in parliament.
Parliamentary delegation
Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang, who became MPs last year, had travelled to Israel as part of a wider British parliamentary delegation.
Since entering the Commons, they have both been highly critical of Israel’s actions during the war in Gaza following the Oct 7 2023 terror attacks by Hamas.
Ms Mohamed voiced her support for a controversial judgment by the International Court of Justice last July, echoing its calls for Israel to “evacuate settlements and pay reparations”.
In February, she organised a cross-party letter signed by 61 MPs and peers that urged the UK to ban the import of “all goods made in whole or in part in Israel’s illegal settlements”.
Ms Mohamed further criticised Israel for restarting its war with Hamas on Mar 18 with a series of strikes that killed several senior Hamas officials.
The Palestinian health ministry, which is run by Hamas, said more than 400 people had died in the bombings.
“From midnight onwards, Israel breached the ceasefire in Gaza, killing 356 Palestinians, mostly women, children, and elderly,” Ms Mohamed said.
“Tents, homes, and shelters bombed indiscriminately. Families buried under rubble, hospitals overwhelmed, bodies everywhere. Gaza is bleeding, and the world stays silent.”
Ms Yang called for sanctions on Israeli ministers in January, telling MPs: “We would like more action and we do not think the current action is enough.”
‘False claims’
Defending its decision, the Embassy of Israel to the UK said: “Israel will not permit the entry of individuals who act against the state and its citizens, promote calls for its boycott, falsely accuse it or call for sanctions against its ministers and public officials.
“In accordance with the law, two members of Parliament were denied entry to the state of Israel after accusing Israel of false claims, calling for a boycott, spreading lies and actively promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers while supporting campaigns aimed at boycotting the state of Israel.
“The visit was intended to provoke, harm Israeli citizens and spread falsehoods about them. It is Israel’s responsibility to prevent the entry of such individuals, just as is the practice in the UK.”
On Sunday, Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang said in a joint statement that they were “astounded at the unprecedented step taken by the Israeli authorities”.
They added: “It is vital that parliamentarians are able to witness, firsthand, the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
“We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months… We had come on an MPs’ delegation to visit humanitarian aid projects and communities in the West Bank, with UK charity partners who have a decade.”
Emily Thornberry, the Labour chairman of the foreign affairs committee, accused Israel of “insulting Britain” with the decision.
Asked about her colleagues who were denied entry, Ms Thornberry told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg: “These are two young women who are potential leaders.
“They are highly respected parliamentarians, and Israel is badly advised to try to alienate them, to humiliate them, and to treat them in this way because people listen to what these two young women say, and they will do for decades to come.
“And in my view Israel really needs to start making friends as opposed to alienating people in this way. I think that it’s an insult to Britain and I think it’s an insult to Parliament.”
Ms Thornberry went on to say that Israel would “rue the day that they did this to British parliamentarians”.
She continued: “This is the first time that they’ve ever refused MPs access to the country.
“If Israel has something to hide then that would be a terrible thing, but frankly they should be open to parliamentarians going to see what is actually happening on the ground.”