British Foreign Secretary David Lammy voiced strong criticism Saturday night regarding Israel's decision to refuse entry to two British members of parliament who arrived at Ben Gurion Airport.
"It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel were detained and denied entry by Israeli authorities," Lammy said. "I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this is no way to treat British parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support."
It is unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning that two British MPs on a parliamentary delegation to Israel have been detained and refused entry by the Israeli authorities.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) April 5, 2025
Lammy emphasized that the British government remains focused on "achieving a return to a ceasefire and negotiations to stop the bloodshed, release the hostages, and end the conflict in Gaza."
The diplomatic incident occurred Saturday when two Labour Party MPs – Yvonne Fovargue and Afzal Khan – landed at Ben Gurion Airport on a flight from Luton. According to Israel's Interior Ministry, the parliamentarians claimed to be part of an official delegation, which Israeli authorities disputed.
Israeli officials stated that questioning of the two revealed they had actually intended "to document the security forces and spread hate speech," leading the interior minister to order their removal from the country.
Fovargue represents the Makerfield constituency in Britain, while Khan serves as the member of parliament for Manchester Gorton. They were accompanied by two aides when they arrived in Israel.
