THE two charities which organised a parliamentary delegation to the West Bank which saw two MPs detained and deported have hit out at Israel's reasons for denying entry.
On Saturday evening, Labour MPs Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed were denied entry to the occupied West Bank by Israeli authorities.
According to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry, the two MPs were rejected because they were suspected of plans to "document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred".
The claims have already been disputed by Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said that the pair were "on a parliamentary delegation to Israel".
Now the charities behind the trip, the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), have also spoken out against Israel's claims.
In a joint statement on Sunday, the groups said the MPs were travelling "as part of a parliamentary delegation", and that the UK consul general in Jerusalem had been informed of the visit.
The charities have organised trips for parliamentary delegations to the occupied West Bank for more than a decade - and, according to chair of the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee Emily Thornberry, it is the first time MPs have been refused access to the country.
The statement from Caabu and MAP reads: “On arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on April 5 2025, two British MPs travelling as part of a parliamentary delegation were questioned and subsequently denied entry and deported by Israeli authorities.
“The parliamentary delegation was organised by the Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu) and Medical Aid for Palestinians (Map).
“Caabu and Map have run parliamentary delegations to the occupied West Bank, including east Jerusalem, for over a decade, enabling British parliamentarians from all parties to learn about the humanitarian and health situation there, and meet Palestinian communities.
“This visit was part of that long-standing programme.
“When questioned, the group was clear, open and transparent about the aims and objectives of the visit, which included visiting a range of projects run by humanitarian and development organisations operating in the West Bank.
“The group had informed the UK consul general in Jerusalem of their visit and was planning to meet with them as part of the itinerary.
“We are grateful to the British embassy and British consulate for their prompt support for the delegation.”
In a statement after they were deported, Mohamed and Yang said they were "astounded" at Israel's decision and that it was "vital" that parliamentarians are able to "witness firsthand" the situation on the ground in Palestine.
The pair added: "We are two, out of scores of MPs, who have spoken out in Parliament in recent months on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the importance of complying with International Humanitarian Law.
"Parliamentarians should feel free to speak truthfully in the House of Commons, without fear of being targeted."
