Israel bars 12 British MPs from entering the country.
Israel has barred 12 British MPs and a campaign group director from entering the country, with Foreign Minister Gideon Saar accusing them of anti-Israel and antisemitic activity. Saar said the Labour government had adopted a hostile position towards Israel since coming to power in 2024 and warned other governments against attempting to pressure Israel over its security and national interests.
He also criticised remarks made by Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband in Parliament, calling his address “outrageous lies”. Saar said those targeted were “involved in antisemitic and anti-Israel activity, as well as those who deny the very existence of the State of Israel”. Israel will close the British Consulate in Jerusalem and remove British representatives from the International Gaza Support Centre in Kiryat Gat, Saar said. The Green Party, whose MPs are among those barred, rejected the Israeli government’s decision and said it would continue campaigning on Palestinian rights. “We will not be bullied into silence by the Israeli government,” a party spokesperson said, adding that the ban strengthened its call for an arms embargo and broader sanctions against Israel.
The move came after the UK government imposed restrictions on goods produced in Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, escalating tensions between the two governments. The restrictions extend beyond the MPs. Saar announced the measures on Tuesday, saying Israel was responding to what he described as hostile actions by the Labour government.