Israel: Refusal of Entry for UK Parliamentarians Debate
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David Smith
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Israel: Refusal of Entry for UK Parliamentarians
David Smith Excerpts(6 days, 5 hours ago)
Commons ChamberRead Full debate Read Hansard Text Watch Debate Read Debate Ministerial Extracts
Mr Falconer
I have spoken already about the importance of the free press, safe travel for journalists and, indeed, parliamentary delegations.
David Smith (North Northumberland) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend for his strong statement in defence of parliamentary democracy. Does he agree that transparency and accessibility are key to parliamentary democracy, and that obstructing the visit of two elected representatives of an allied nation can only raise troubling questions about the current health of Israeli democracy?
Mr Falconer
As I have said, one of the appealing elements of Israeli democracy is its free press and vibrant debate, and I know that many Members of this House have benefited from vibrant exchanges with their counterparts in Israel, as they have said already. I regret that that has not been the case this weekend.