MP abused for meeting Israeli envoy to discuss Gaza

A LABOUR MP has revealed the “horribly antisemitic abuse” she received after visiting the Israeli embassy to discuss Gaza.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan was invited to discuss her campaign to pressure Israel to relax the system it operates which forces Palestinians to acquire a humanitarian entry permit before they can obtain healthcare in the country.

But after she tweeted last week to say the meeting had taken place, she received anti-Jewish abuse from “those purporting to support the Palestinian cause”.

She tweeted pictures on Tuesday of the messages she received, which included calling her “a complete hypocrite, bought and paid for by the Israel lobby”.

Another said she had been “bought by the Zionists for a bag of silver and duplex on Marbella”.

“It’s disgusting, these views are abhorrent — but also misguided and ill-informed,” the MP for Tooting wrote.

“This behaviour does nothing to help the Palestinian cause. I have been there, called out what I’ve seen and spoken in the press. Am I now not meant to work to improve this dreadful situation?

“I’ve worked with Palestinians across the Middle East for ten years — but these racists think they can sit behind a keyboard here in the UK and troll someone genuinely trying to help. It’s revolting — it’s wrong.”

Writing in the Independent in June about her visit to Israel earlier this year, she described triplets who were born in Jerusalem at 26 weeks and whose mother had to return to Gaza within days because of the permit situation.

Two of them died while the sole survivor remained at the city’s Makassed Hospital for five months until the mother could obtain a new permit, Dr Allin-Khan wrote.

“It is simply unacceptable that people living in Gaza and the West Bank often have to wait for months before accessing treatment, or are unable to accompany their young children — this is a humanitarian crisis borne out of political choice,” she wrote.