UK Labour MPs Barred From Entering Israel

Two British Labour Party lawmakers, Simon Opher and Peter Prinsley, were denied entry into Israel on Monday while attempting to cross from Jordan, according to the BBC. The pair claimed they intended to observe medical and humanitarian projects in Judea and Samaria, which they referred to as “the occupied West Bank.”

In a joint statement, they called the decision by Israeli authorities “deeply regrettable,” alleging it prevented them from witnessing what they described as the challenges facing healthcare in the region.

However, both MPs were traveling as part of a delegation organized by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (CAABU), a group openly hostile to Israel. CAABU’s website states its mission is to “counter the Israel lobby,” and its director, Chris Doyle, has repeatedly described Israel as an “apartheid regime” and characterized Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre which killed 1,200 Israelis as a reaction to Israeli policies.

According to Opher, the two were held at a passport office on the Israeli border, issued a legal notice ordering them to leave, and escorted back into Jordan. He said they were told the refusal was on “public order” grounds, despite intervention attempts from the U.K. Foreign Office.

The incident comes amid diplomatic friction. In June, the U.K. joined Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway in sanctioning Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, freezing assets and barring their entry over accusations of “inciting extremist violence.”

A spokesperson for the U.K. Foreign Office condemned the decision, calling it “totally unacceptable and deeply concerning” that sitting parliamentarians were refused entry, and said the government had made its displeasure clear to Israel.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry has not yet issued an official response.

The denial reflects Israel’s policy of restricting entry to individuals linked with groups that delegitimize the state and excuse terrorism. At a time when Israel continues to fight global misinformation and bias, Jerusalem’s decision underscores that its sovereignty and security will not be compromised, even under diplomatic pressure.

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