A Canadian delegation of members of Parliament refused to enter the West Bank

A delegation of 30 Canadians, including six Members of Parliament, were denied entry to the West Bank early Tuesday morning.

A spokesperson for the National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM), which has members in the group, told CBC News that each guest was asked to sign a form declaring that they were a risk to public safety, which they refused to do.

NCCM CEO Stephen Brown, who is not on the trip, described the incident as “very troubling and very disappointing.” In an emailed statement to CBC News, he said members of the delegation were given electronic travel authorization by Israel before reaching the border.

“While we are saddened by this result, it is sadly consistent with the Israeli government’s broader pattern of restricting access for those who want to see the truth in the occupied territories,” Brown said in a statement.

The group, which attempted to enter the West Bank by land from the Allenby crossing in Jordan, is on a sponsored tour organized by Canadian registered non-profit organization, Canadian Muslim Vote.

Members of Parliament planned to meet with civil society organizations, Palestinian refugees and internally displaced people, as well as officials from the Canadian government and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Those meetings will be held across the region, including Jerusalem, Jenin, Hebron and many refugee camps, the NCCM statement said.

The statement also said the team members are safe and are now on their way back to Jordan, with plans to return to Canada after attending a series of meetings in Jordan.

A deteriorating relationship

Last week, the NDP’s Jenny Kwan, the party’s lone MP, told CBC News she suspects they may be denied entry because of the deterioration of relations between the Canadian government and Israel over the past two years.

Some MPs in this group are from the ruling Liberal caucus.

The trip comes nearly three months after the Canadian government officially recognized the state of Palestine, just before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, a move that angered Israel.

“Israel will not allow you to continue the threatening situation,” Netanyahu told the UNGA a week after Canada’s announcement, criticizing other Western countries that chose to honor it, such as France and the United Kingdom.

In January 2024, the same group of Liberal and NDP MPs were able to enter Israel and visit Palestinians who still had homes in the occupied West Bank.

CBC News also asked the Israeli government for comment on the pending visit on Monday. At the time, the department’s spokesperson, Shosh Bedrosian, said he had no information to share.

CBC News asked Israeli authorities about the updates.

More to come