By Dr Ziad Al-Alyan, Editor-in-Chief

Over the last few days, the world witnessed an unprecedented attack on British politics. Two Members of Parliament, Abtisam Mohamed and Yuan Yang, were detained by Israeli officials and subsequently deported. The two Labour MPs were on an official visit to Palestine, organized by the Council for Arab-British Understanding. This was a legitimate parliamentary delegation. However, Israeli immigration claimed it had no knowledge of the delegation. The reason given for the deportation was a concern that the two women would spread “anti-Israel hatred”.

This act of aggression against British politics is both unacceptable and unprecedented.

Since the beginning of the recent conflict, the UK has maintained a calm, wise and calculated approach. Despite intense Zionist pressure on Europe, the UK has not succumbed or fallen in line, as we’ve seen with others — most notably France and Germany, who have, quite frankly, “dropped their pants”. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t use such expressions, but since the international community seems to feel no shame in allowing a modern-day genocide to unfold under its watch, I’m certain my comments won’t offend anyone.

I was pleased to see the strong response from UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who called the incident “unacceptable, counterproductive and deeply concerning.” He also affirmed that the government will continue to stand up for the rights of its MPs to speak their minds. I echo this sentiment and also praise the comments of MP Emily Thornberry, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, who urged Israel to engage with the two MPs rather than try to humiliate them. She rightly stated that Israel should stop being so thin-skinned and listen to its allies — much of the criticism is legitimate.

Israel’s behavior is not surprising. The deportation took place amid renewed Israeli attacks on Gaza following the end of a ceasefire. In the past month alone, over 1,200 people have been killed and more than 40,000 displaced.

In a statement issued by the Israeli embassy in the UK, officials claimed that “these individuals had accused Israel of false claims... the visit was intended to provoke anti-Israel activities... its purpose was to harm Israel and Israeli citizens”. As with many of Israel’s statements, there is no evidence to support any of these claims.

It is encouraging to see that many UK parliamentarians are not putting self-interest above morality and the pursuit of justice. I have at times criticized the British press, yet I must acknowledge that UK media outlets have not shied away from exposing Israel’s wrongdoings since the beginning of the conflict. Both the BBC and Sky News have published numerous reports and video coverage highlighting the atrocities in Gaza — coverage we do not see in the US or in many European countries. In fact, in some of those countries, the opposite is happening: Numerous news outlets and websites have been blocked, all under the guise of preventing “antisemitism”.

I’m glad that the UK government stands firm in protecting its parliamentarians and their freedom of expression. The UK is a democracy, and its parliament is elected by the people. British politicians are intelligent and streetwise. They don’t flinch, and they don’t bend the knee.

We should all be appalled by what happened to these two MPs, regardless of where we come from. Israel has grown used to doing whatever it wants without pushback. This is exactly what we in the Middle East have been warning about for years: Be careful. Israel might do to you what it has done to us if left unchecked.

For now, at least, UK politicians remain a red line.

zya@kuwaittimes.com