Israel will never stop me speaking up for Palestine

Over my lifetime, it’s been my privilege to visit Palestine on several different occasions. I’ve witnessed what Palestinians endure on a daily basis. Endless checkpoints. Manned watchtowers. Arbitrary arrests. Violent settlers. This is the daily reality of apartheid, which dictates who can and cannot move freely. This is how Israel’s occupation operates, denying any vestige of autonomy to the occupied. This is the daily rhythm of Palestinian life.

In Gaza, the Israeli occupation controls most of what goes in and out. Its illegal blockade has resulted in the mass starvation and displacement of Palestinians. As more and more people have woken up to the genocide in Gaza, Israel has also denied entry to UN investigators and international journalists – a transparent attempt to stop the world from finding out the full extent of the war crimes it has committed. Do not forget the thousands of Palestinian refugees, as well, who are still denied the right to return.

This is the real scandal. The Israeli government’s decision to ban me – and 10 other British MPs – from entry offered but a tiny glimpse into the authoritarianism that Palestinians are subject to every single day.

I won’t lose any sleep over being condemned by Israel. What I deplore is its despicable treatment of the Palestinian people. What I deplore is Israel’s denial of freedom of movement to thousands of Palestinians on a daily basis. What I deplore is Israel’s denial of entry to UN investigators and journalists, shielding itself from accountability for the crimes of apartheid, occupation and genocide.

What this ban is really about is preventing British MPs from visiting Gaza and the West Bank and stopping the world from seeing what is happening. The Israeli government’s decision tells us all we need to know. It tells us that Israel does not want the world to know the truth. It tells us that Israel resorts to increasingly absurd and desperate measures as it loses support across the globe. Above all, it tells us that we should not give up in our pursuit of truth, accountability and justice.

Israel made the decision to ban us in response to the government’s welcome decision to impose sanctions on illegal settlement goods. International law is clear. In July 2024, the ICJ ruled that Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories was unlawful and imposed obligations on the UK not to aid or assist the illegal obligation. This ban on settlement goods is long overdue. It reflects growing opposition to state-backed settler violence against Palestinians in the West. The hysteria from those who oppose it proves just how much impunity Israel has enjoyed so far.

Ultimately, this decision is a first step toward the government finally fulfilling its legal obligations. These obligations, however, go beyond refraining from assistance to illegal settlements. Any meaningful package of sanctions would recognise how “settlement goods” are subsumed into Israel’s wider economy. That means ending all trade and all forms of support that sustain Israel’s unlawful presence as a whole.

I also re-iterate my demand for this government to recognise the genocide in Gaza, end all military coperation (including the sale of F-35 components and the performance of surveillance flights over Gaza) and heed my repeated calls for a public inquiry into British complicity.