Israel Banned MPs
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband announced sanctions against illegal settlements in Palestinian territories, prompting backlash from the Israel Foreign Ministry, which retaliated with a ban against 11 British MPs www.gov.uk

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband delivered an oral statement to the House of Commons on 8 September 2026, part of which states: 'The British government agrees that there is ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in areas of the West Bank—perpetrated by settler terrorists.'

He added: 'And all too often the Israeli government has turned a blind eye to this and, worse, members of it have made statements and taken actions to support the forced displacement of Palestinians.' The remarks prompted swift retaliation from Israel, with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announcing countermeasures against the UK, including a ban on 11 MPs and a lawyer from entering Israel.

Who Made Israel's Ban List?

The banned MPs are Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana of Your Party, Diane Abbott, Naz Shah, John McDonnell and Richard Burgon of the Labour Party, and Carla Denyer, Adrian Ramsay, Ellie Chowns, Sian Berry and Hannah Spencer of the Green Party. Lawyer Fahad Ansari is also banned from entering Israel.

Most of the banned officials were unperturbed by the ban and reinforced their criticism of the Israeli government. Sultana said she will wear the ban as a badge of honour: 'I will not be intimidated into silence. I will continue to speak out against Israel's genocide and against the UK's complicity. If anything, this ban only strengthens my resolve to keep speaking out.'

MPs Respond With Defiance

Burgon stated: 'The decision by the Israeli government to sanction me today will not intimidate me into silence... I've repeatedly called for sanctions on Israel over its war crimes and ethnic cleansing, including by providing evidence to the International Criminal Court.'

Shah expressed surprise at her inclusion: 'My commitment to international law, peace, security and the rights of both Palestinians and Israelis remains unchanged.'

McDonnell did not address his ban, but described as a 'significant breakthrough' the joint statement by foreign ministers of Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the UK, calling for a two-state solution in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski defended his five party colleagues who are included in the ban. 'Our Green MPs have consistently spoken out and voted on the right side of history. Standing up against ethnic cleansing, occupation and genocide, as all MPs should be doing,' he said.

Corbyn added: 'As the world wakes up to the genocide in Gaza, it is shocking that Israel continues to deny entry to UN investigators and international journalists. Israel doesn't want the world to see what it is doing—but we can never give up in our attempts to expose the truth.'

Sa'ar Thanks Conservative Allies

None of the banned MPs are Conservatives. Sa'ar hinted at warmer ties with the Official Opposition when he thanked Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, also MP for North West Essex, and Shadow Foreign Secretary Tom Tugendhat, also MP for Tonbridge, for speaking with him.

'I thanked them for their firm opposition to the hostile Labour Government's announcement today and its series of anti-Israel policies since taking office,' Sa'ar said on social media. 'I welcomed their support for the friendship with Israel and their commitment to the future relations between our countries. We know that we have many friends in the UK, but unfortunately we are faced with the ongoing hostility of the current Labour government.'

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