UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s recent condemnation of Israel’s refusal to allow entry to two British MPs—Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed—reveals a troubling double standard. By calling the deportation of the two BDS-supporting Labour politicians “unacceptable” and “deeply concerning,” Lammy has chosen to elevate political posturing over the sovereign right of a democratic ally to defend itself from foreign hostility.
Israel’s decision to deny entry to Mohamed and Yang was not a rash act of censorship—it was a measured response grounded in law and national security. The two MPs are not neutral diplomats. They are outspoken advocates of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign, a global effort that seeks the economic destruction and delegitimization of the Jewish state.
Their visit to Israel was unofficial, uncoordinated, and deliberately provocative. According to Israeli authorities, the pair planned to meet with organizations affiliated with anti-Israel activism in Judea and Samaria. Given their vocal support for BDS—a movement that aligns itself with the narratives of Hamas and other Iranian-backed terror groups—Israel had every legal and moral right to bar their entry.
“These individuals are not peace envoys,” a senior Israeli official stated. “They are agitators who have used their public platforms to demonize Israel and support movements that align with terrorist narratives.”
Lammy, however, chose to focus not on the threat they represent but on Israel’s reaction to it. His statement failed to acknowledge that neither Mohamed nor Yang has condemned Hamas’ October 7 massacre—the most brutal slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust. Nor have they demanded the release of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza, including children and elderly civilians.
Instead, Lammy’s focus was on shielding two MPs who promote boycotts of a democratic country under siege from Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas. If anything is “deeply concerning,” it is the British government’s failure to differentiate between legitimate diplomacy and political warfare.
Israel is still reeling from an existential war launched by Iran’s terror proxies from Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. In this context, visits from foreign lawmakers who support Israel’s isolation are not innocent fact-finding missions—they are acts of political sabotage. And Israel is right to defend itself not just with tanks and missiles, but at its airports and borders.
The deportation of Mohamed and Yang should not be seen as a scandal—it should be seen as a sovereign nation upholding its right to self-respect. Lammy may find that uncomfortable, but the Jewish state will not apologize for protecting itself from those who legitimize the forces that seek its destruction.
