Just a few days ago, authorities refused me access to the country as part of on a humanitarian parliamentary delegation organised by the Council for the Advancement of Arab-British Understanding.
The purpose of my visit, alongside fellow MP Dr. Opher, a doctor like me, was to begin to understand the medical conditions for Palestinian residents in the West Bank. Unfortunately, we never set foot the nation, let alone touring medical facilities in the occupied territories.
Rather, my view was limited to the buffer zone of the Sheikh Hussein border crossing, the Jordan river reduced to a trickle. During the delay while the border officials decided my status, I finished off the only snack I’d brought with me for nourishment – a small bag of KP nuts – pondering how low Israel has fallen by its current government and how much it has changed, hardly recognizable.
It’s not the first time that Israel has denied British parliamentarians access – comparable treatment happened to two of my colleagues in April. I do not justify their removal from Israel in any way, yet my case is different.
It represents the extent to which the nation's leadership has isolated itself. I am disheartened to note that Israel today seems to be far removed from the inclusive, pluralistic, free and fair values of its origin in 1948.
I am Jewish, one of just a dozen or so MPs of Jewish heritage of the House of Commons. I visited Israel initially during my youth as a doctor-in-training and have since returned for happy holidays, seeing relatives who live there. I belong of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and a committed supporter in my community's place of worship.
The official Israeli document denying my entry referenced “public security or public safety or public order considerations”, without providing any explanation on why I, a 67-year-old retired ENT specialist representing Suffolk, might pose a risk whatsoever.
I decided to take part in the delegation because it would have given me a chance to talk to doctors, patients and medical charities in the area, and expand my knowledge of the horrendous events across the region and its impact on hospitals, medics and the patients they treat. Being lawmakers, we have a responsibility to stay knowledgeable as possible.
There have been a long period of devastating images broadcast nightly on television amid the crisis continues in Gaza. Transparency is essential to achieve an end to conflict in this brutal war. Only via talking and understanding can we find a chance for peace. Through candor and integrity can advances occur in good faith.
Gaza has already been completely isolated from reporters, diplomats and activists. Parliamentarians are also barred entry to the West Bank.
A relative texted me upon my return: This shows everything that is rotten about the regime and its enabled behavior.”
I deeply respect for the many British doctors and healthcare workers who went to the area laboring endlessly in appalling situations to care for those affected by the war is unwavering. Unfortunately, I could not express that respect face-to-face or share insights to my colleagues in the UK on what I was able to observe and learn during the visit.
Israel once represented aspiration for a generation of Jews. It pains me greatly to say that bonds among Jews once thought eternal are now eroded by the present Israeli government.
Boarding a vehicle to return to Amman, within a day after my arrival, I was left wondering: what happened of the state of Israel?
- Peter Prinsley serves as Parliament Member for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket.
