Labour MP banned from entering Israel attended Muslim Council dinner
Abtisam Mohammed and Yuan Yang were turned away at Israel's border on Saturday on the basis that they had travelled to the country to spread 'anti-Israel hatred', Israeli authorities said.
The pair, who became MPs last year, had travelled to Israel as part of a parliamentary delegation organised by Medical Aid for Palestinians and the Council for Arab-British Understanding.
It can now be revealed that Ms Mohamed attended an event organised by a group shunned by the Government because of its allegedly anti-British positions.
The Muslim Council of Britain dinner, which took place on March 17, was a celebration of the organisation's campaign efforts for accurate reporting on Muslims and Islam.
The Sheffield Central MP's decision to attend raised questions, as Labour has continued the Conservative party's policy of non-engagement with the organisation. Husam Zomlot, the Palestinian ambassador to the UK, addressed attendees at the dinner.
While the Government has not given its reasoning for distancing itself from the organisation, Rishi Sunak's administration said positions taken by MCB leaders that it said 'contradict our fundamental values'.
In 2009, Daud Abdullah, MCB's then deputy secretary-general, signed a declaration calling for attacks on the Royal Navy if it tried to stop arms being smuggled into Gaza to supply Hamas. The Labour government of the time said it would not engage with the group unless Mr Abdullah stepped down. He later resigned.
In January this year, Sir Steven Timms, the disability minister, was 'spoken to' for attending a dinner organised by the group.
Ms Mohamed has not faced any similar action from the party because backbench MPs are not held to the same standards as ministers, it is understood. The Government's position on the Muslim Council of Britain has not changed.
Since entering the Commons, Ms Mohamed and Ms Yang have been critical of Israel's actions during the war in Gaza, following the Oct 7 terror attacks by Hamas.
In February, Ms Mohamed organised a cross-party letter signed by 61 MPs and peers that urged the UK to ban goods made in Israeli settlements in the occupied territories.
Ms Yang called for sanctions on Israeli ministers in January, telling MPs: 'We would like more action and we do not think the current action is enough.'
Since the pair were denied entry to Israel, the Labour Party has rallied around them, posing for a group photo in Westminster Hall on Monday that featured Wes Streeting and Hamish Falconer.
On Monday, Ms Mohamed told MPs: 'What happened to myself and the MP for Earley and Woodley [Ms Yang] has been unprecedented. We were denied entry based on our legitimate political opinions, which are firmly aligned with international law.
'There is no direct route into the West Bank. We have to go through Israel. This act was not just a diplomatic affront. This wasn't about security. It was about control and censorship.'
The Muslim Council of Britain declined to comment. Ms Mohammed has been contacted for comment.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Los Angeles Times
28 minutes ago
- Los Angeles Times
Israel is in talks to possibly resettle Palestinians from Gaza in South Sudan
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel is in discussions with South Sudan about the possibility of resettling Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the war-torn East African country, part of a wider effort by Israel to facilitate mass emigration from the territory left in ruins by its 22-month offensive against Hamas. Six people familiar with the matter confirmed the talks to the Associated Press. It's unclear how far the talks have advanced, but if implemented, the plans would amount to transferring people from one war-ravaged land at risk of famine to another, and raise human rights concerns. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants to realize President Trump's vision of relocating much of Gaza's population through what Netanyahu refers to as 'voluntary migration.' Israel has floated similar resettlement proposals with other African nations. Palestinians, rights groups, and much of the international community have rejected the proposals as a blueprint for forcible expulsion in violation of international law. For South Sudan, such a deal could help it build closer ties to Israel, now the almost unchallenged military power in the Middle East. It is also a potential inroad to Trump, who broached the idea of resettling Gaza's population in February but appears to have backed away in recent months. Israel's Foreign Ministry declined to comment and South Sudan's foreign minister did not respond to questions about the talks. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said it doesn't comment on private diplomatic conversations. Joe Szlavik, the founder of a U.S. lobbying firm working with South Sudan, said he was briefed by South Sudanese officials on the talks. He said an Israeli delegation plans to visit the country to look into the possibility of setting up camps for Palestinians there. No known date has been set for the visit. Israel did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the visit. Szlavik said Israel would likely pay for makeshift camps. Edmund Yakani, who heads a South Sudanese civil society group, said he had also spoken to South Sudanese officials about the talks. Four additional officials with knowledge of the discussions confirmed talks were taking place on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them publicly. Two of the officials, both from Egypt, told AP they've known for months about Israel's efforts to find a country to accept Palestinians, including its contact with South Sudan. They said they've been lobbying South Sudan against taking the Palestinians. Egypt is deeply opposed to plans to transfer Palestinians out of Gaza, with which it shares a border, fearing an influx of refugees into its own territory. The AP previously reported on similar talks initiated by Israel and the U.S. with Sudan and Somalia, countries that are also grappling with war and hunger, and the breakaway region of Somalia known as Somaliland. The status of those discussions is not known. Szlavik, who's been hired by South Sudan to improve its relations with the United States, said the U.S. is aware of the discussions with Israel but is not directly involved. South Sudan wants the Trump administration to lift a travel ban on the country and remove sanctions from some South Sudanese elites, said Szlavik. It has already accepted eight individuals swept up in the administration's mass deportations, in what may have been an effort to curry favor. The Trump administration has pressured a number of countries to help facilitate deportations. 'Cash-strapped South Sudan needs any ally, financial gain and diplomatic security it can get,' said Peter Martell, a journalist and author of a book about the country, 'First Raise a Flag.' Israel's Mossad spy agency provided aid to the South Sudanese during their decades-long civil war against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum ahead of independence in 2011, according to the book. The State Department, asked if there was any quid pro quo with South Sudan, said decisions on the issuing of visas are made 'in a way that prioritizes upholding the highest standards for U.S. national security, public safety, and the enforcement of our immigration laws.' Many Palestinians might want to leave Gaza, at least temporarily, to escape the war and a hunger crisis bordering on famine. But they have roundly rejected any permanent resettlement from what they see as an integral part of their national homeland. They fear that Israel will never allow them to return, and that a mass departure would allow it to annex Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there, as called for by far-right ministers in the Israeli government. Still, even those Palestinians who want to leave are unlikely to take their chances in South Sudan, among the world's most unstable and conflict-ridden countries. South Sudan has struggled to recover from a civil war that broke out after independence, and which killed nearly 400,000 people and plunged pockets of the country into famine. The oil-rich country is plagued by corruption and relies on international aid to help feed its 11 million people – a challenge that has only grown since the Trump administration made sweeping cuts to foreign assistance. A peace deal reached seven years ago has been fragile and incomplete, and the threat of war returned when the main opposition leader was placed under house arrest this year. Palestinians in particular could find themselves unwelcome. The long war for independence from Sudan pitted the mostly Christian and animist south against the predominantly Arab and Muslim north. Yakani, of the civil society group, said South Sudanese would need to know who is coming and how long they plan to stay, or there could be hostilities due to the 'historical issues with Muslims and Arabs.' 'South Sudan should not become a dumping ground for people,' he said. 'And it should not accept to take people as negotiating chips to improve relations.' Mednick writes for the Associated Press. AP reporters Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Matthew Lee in Washington, and Samy Magdy in Cairo, Egypt, contributed to this report.
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Man who fired a shotgun outside a New York synagogue sentenced to 10 years in prison
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A man who fired a shotgun outside an upstate New York synagogue with dozens of children inside shortly after the start of the Israel-Hamas war was sentenced in federal court Tuesday to 10 years in prison. Mufid Alkhader, 29, was arrested in December 2023 after firing two shots in the air and shouting 'Free Palestine!' outside Temple Israel of Albany. No one was injured, but the incident terrified many of the 61 children attending preschool and the adult staffers who had to shelter in place. 'My daughter was in Hebrew class with her teacher, whose own child was on the other side of the building,' Rachel Mandel told the court. 'Her amazing teacher held, hid and comforted my child. She prepared herself and the children in her care to die as victims of hate.' Advertisement 3 Mufid Alkhader, who fired a shotgun outside a New York synagogue, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by federal court Friday. AP The shots were fired hours before the first night of Hanukkah and two months after the surprise incursion by Hamas triggered the war. Federal prosecutors say Alkhader, whose gun jammed after the second shot, complained about events in the Middle East after his arrest. Under a deal with prosecutors, Alkhader in February pleaded guilty to obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force, brandishing a firearm during the commission of that offense and conspiring to purchase a firearm unlawfully. Advertisement 3 Mufid Alkhader was arrested in December 2013 for the shooting. Alkhader, wearing an orange jail shirt, told the court Tuesday he felt terrible about what he did and for scaring people. 'I know I was not in my right mind,' Alkhader said, asking for forgiveness. Alkhader's public defender had argued for a more lenient sentence, citing his client's severe mental illness. Advertisement 3 While no one was injured at the Temple Israel of Albany, the incident terrified many of the 61 children attending preschool and the adult staffers who had to shelter in place Google Maps But Judge Anne Nardacci sided with prosecutors, who said Alkhader should face 10 years in prison after traumatizing the children and adults in the synagogue. Prosecutor Richard Belliss said Alkhader wanted to scare the people in the building, 'and scare them he did.' Advertisement Alkhader was born in a Palestinian refugee community near Baghdad and his family came to the U.S. as refugees in 2012, when he was 16. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen two years later and lived in nearby Schenectady at the time of the shooting. Another man was sentenced last fall to 14 months in prison for making a 'straw' purchase of the shotgun for Alkhader.
New York Post
28 minutes ago
- New York Post
Armed terrorists killed while posing as World Central Kitchen staff in Gaza: IDF
A group of five armed terrorists were killed after they were caught posing as members of the World Central Kitchen humanitarian group in central Gaza, the Israeli military said Tuesday. Video from Deir al-Balah, one of the few cities largely spared by the 21-month Mideast war, shows a group of men in bright vests traveling in a vehicle marked with the WCK's emblem. 'The terrorists deliberately attached the [WCK] emblem and wore yellow vests in an attempt to disguise their activities and avoid being targeted, cynically exploiting the status and trust given to aid organizations,' the Israel Defense Force said in a statement. Advertisement 3 A group of terrorists were killed while posing as members the World Central Kitchen humanitarian group in central Gaza, the Israeli military said. IDF 3 The men were traveling in a truck with the charity's emblem on top. IDF The military said its unit that oversees the distribution of humanitarian aid contacted WCK about the group spotted near Deir al-Balah, with the nonprofit confirming that the vehicle was not affiliated with them. Advertisement While the IDF only confirmed that five of the men were killed, the video showed at least 10 people huddled around the car and putting on the vests before the vehicle set off. The IDF did not state if the men killed in the strike were specifically with Hamas or members of other terror groups or militias based in the Gaza Strip. WCK said it condemned anyone who would pose as one of their employees, warning that such actions endanger real aid workers operating in Gaza. 3 The World Central Kitchen confirmed that the vehicle was not affiliated with them. IDF Advertisement The agency, founded in 2010 by Spanish-American chef and restaurateur José Andrés, provides food relief to those around the world, with the humanitarian group currently focusing on trying to avoid the looming famine in Gaza. The war in Gaza has repeatedly put humanitarian aid workers at risk, with at least 10 WCK staffers killed last year after they were hit by Israeli airstrikes, including seven who were unloading 100 tons of food. Israeli officials have repeatedly apologized for the deaths, blaming Hamas for putting the aid workers at risk and accusing the group of routinely hiding behind the humanitarian efforts in Gaza.
