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Two British parliamentarians, Simon Opher and Peter Prinsley, faced a setback in their plans to visit the occupied West Bank as they were refused entry into Israel. The MPs were part of a delegation traveling to witness the medical and humanitarian efforts in the region, including those by Medical Aid for Palestinians. Expressing disappointment, the MPs stated that it was unfortunate that Israeli authorities had prevented them from observing the pressing challenges faced by medical facilities in the area. The Israeli Embassy in London has been contacted for a response regarding the incident.
The UK Foreign Office condemned the denial of entry to the British MPs by Israel, calling it “totally unacceptable and deeply concerning.” Minister [Hamish] Falconer and officials maintained communication with the affected MPs throughout the ordeal. The two MPs were stopped by Israeli authorities as they attempted to enter Israel from Jordan as part of a three-day visit organized by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU). Opher shared that they were detained in a passport office, handed legal documents instructing their departure, and then escorted back to Jordan by bus.
Despite the representation made by the Foreign Office to Israeli authorities, the MPs were informed that they were not allowed entry on “public order” grounds. Opher emphasized that their visit was solely to assess the healthcare facilities in the West Bank and explore ways to provide support, rather than to challenge Israeli authorities. The MPs had planned to meet the British Consul General in Jerusalem and engage with Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations during their visit. Both Prinsley and Opher were elected to Parliament in 2024.
Chris Doyle, the Director of CAABU, expressed disappointment over the recent denial of entry to British parliamentarians, highlighting the importance of enabling them to witness the situation firsthand. He stressed that such visits allow politicians to better understand the ground reality and shape British policy accordingly. This incident follows a similar case earlier in the year when two other Labour MPs, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, were also denied entry to Israel on a visit organized by CAABU. Israeli authorities at the time accused the MPs of making false claims against Israel and promoting sanctions against Israeli ministers, prompting condemnation from Foreign Secretary David Lammy. Additionally, Liberal Democrat MP Wera Hobhouse was previously barred from entering Hong Kong to visit her newborn grandson in April
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