UK MP Emily Thornberry slams Israeli ‘rude treatment’ at Knesset

UK Labour MP Emily Thornberry on Tuesday denounced the release of footage of a UK parliamentary visit to the Israeli Knesset, which she claims was done without her “knowledge or consent”. 

Thornberry, who serves as chair of the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Select Committee, slammed Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel for publishing the video, and urged the UK government to take action.

During a discussion with the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Thornberry questioned UK Middle East Minister Hamish Falconer, highlighting her trip to Israel and reaffirming that Haskel’s actions were “unacceptable.”

“Would you expect, minister, if there was a visiting delegation of members of parliament to the House of Commons, for the delegation to be videoed without their knowledge or consent?” she asked Falconer, who responded that such a move would be “very unusual”.

Thornberry further asked: “Or for it to be put onto Instagram and indeed briefed to, let’s say, the Daily Telegraph in disparaging terms?”

Falconer told Thornberry that he was not “familiar with the details” but added that if “someone was visiting the House of Commons, we want to show them courtesy”.

Thornberry, in response, said that such a situation would be “particularly bad” had the roles been reversed.

“If it was the Deputy Foreign Minister of Israel who was videoed in the UK and disparaging comments were made about her evidence or a private meeting that she’d had, let’s say, with us?” she asked.

“Because the opposite has just happened to us, and a video of us at the Knesset meeting the Deputy Foreign Minister has been posted on Instagram.

“We understand that, I mean, certainly we had no knowledge that it was being videoed and assumed, of course, that it would never happen. I have to say I’ve just found out about it, and to say that I’m cross might be an understatement,” she added.

During the 60-second clip, which was available on the Israeli minister’s Instagram page on Tuesday and later removed, Haskel asked the MP for Islington South, Finsbury, and De Beauvoir whether she had spoken to Palestinians from the occupied West Bank about how they would vote if elections were to occur.

Just 20 seconds into her response, Haskel interrupted Thornberry, saying: “The fact is that there’s no election because the day after Hamas is going to take control.”

Thornberry also mentioned that some members of the Knesset were “quite provocative” and “quite insulting”, adding that their attitude was “remarkably rude”.

However, she insisted that the UK delegation did “their utmost to keep their decorum and remain polite”.

Falconer said he would investigate the matter and “come back to the committee”.

According to The Jerusalem Post, citing an unnamed source within the Israeli Knesset, the meeting was reportedly intended to be recorded, and no filming occurred without the knowledge of Thornberry or the other attendees.

Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Haskel, a Knesset member for the New Hope Party in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, is reportedly one of the favourites to become Israel’s next ambassador to the UK, following the expected departure of current ambassador Tzipi Hotovely in September, according to UK publication The Jewish Chronicle.

Haskel has repeatedly expressed hardline stances in support of Israel’s war on Gaza, having advocated for the Israeli military to use “full force” on the already war-battered Palestinian enclave if the remaining Israeli captives are not released by Hamas.

She has also publicly supported US President Donald Trump’s ‘ethnic cleansing’ proposal, which calls for the US to occupy Gaza, expel the Palestinians, and redevelop the area into the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

Meanwhile, Thornberry has expressed support for a two-state solution to the long-standing Israel-Palestine conflict.

However, the British MP previously was criticised by Palestinians after stating Israel “had a right to defend itself” when asked whether Israel’s cutting of power and other vital supplies to Gaza broke international law. She has also defended Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s stance on the Gaza war.