Jenny Kwan, the NDP MP for Vancouver-East, was one of six members of Parliament denied entry into the occupied West Bank on Tuesday by the Israeli government, on the grounds of 'government, public security, public safety or public order considerations.' Kwan pushed back on the justification of the refusal of entry, calling it 'completely unacceptable.'
OTTAWA — A Liberal MP says she was shoved several times by Israeli border officials as her delegation was denied entry to the West Bank Tuesday morning.
Ontario MP Iqra Khalid said Tuesday she was pushed after trying to check on a member of the roughly 30-person delegation who was pulled aside for additional questioning after the group had been at the Allenby Crossing for several hours.
"I wanted to stay close by because there were three or four officers that were surrounding this young woman. And so I asked if I could be part of the conversation. They said no. So I took two steps back and I just was watching," Khalid said in an interview from Amman, Jordan.
"An Israeli officer came up to me and he was yelling at my face and said, 'Go away,' and he pushed me. I took a step back into the wall and I said, 'Don't touch me, please.' And he said, 'I'll touch you as much as I want,' and he pushed me again. And at that point, another officer came and he pushed me further back."
Khalid said another member of the delegation then came and pulled her back toward the rest of the group.
Khalid said the border officials would have known she was a parliamentarian because they had taken her special passport, which looks different from the standard Canadian document.
B.C. NDP MP Jenny Kwan and Quebec Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi, who are also part of the delegation, both told The Canadian Press they witnessed the shoving incident.
Jenny Kwan, the NDP MP for Vancouver-East, was one of six members of Parliament denied entry into the occupied West Bank on Tuesday by the Israeli government, on the grounds of 'government, public security, public safety or public order considerations.' Kwan pushed back on the justification of the refusal of entry, calling it 'completely unacceptable.'
Kwan says the delegation had advised the Canadian government of its trip and plans, which in turn communicated the information to Israel.
At no point did we try to hide the information. We were completely forthright, Kwan said in an interview with CBC News's Aarti Patel.
Kwan explained that Canadian members of Parliament are issued special passports and that they were not handed the form with the statement denying them entry — and therefore were not asked to sign it.
Still, she doesn't believe the reasons used by Israel to justify the denial.
I for one reject that notion that civil societies who are doing humanitarian work on the ground [are] a security threat and I also reject the fact that members of Parliament, doing our work, also pose, somehow, a security threat, Kwan said.
Before they attempted to enter, she said the delegation had visited a refugee camp in Jordan and spoken to families there about their experiences in the West Bank.
Kwan said she hasn't yet heard how the Canadian government will react to the news, but said, You have to ask the question: what is it that the Israeli government is trying to hide?
As part of a delegation of organized and sponsored by Canadian Muslim Vote, six Canadian Members of Parliament, along with representatives from civil society organizations, arrived in Amman on Sunday, December 14, 2025. The purpose of the visit for the delegation was to deepen our understanding by listening to and learning directly from individuals on the ground, including Muslim, Jewish, Palestinian, and Christian families, about their lived experiences.
During my time in Jordan, the delegation met with the Canadian Ambassador and government representatives, visited families living in refugee camps, and engaged with civil society organizations involved in humanitarian work. These meetings provided firsthand insight into daily conditions, lived realities, and the practical challenges facing affected communities. I also learned about the efforts of relief organizations and the impact of humanitarian projects in Jordan prior to our planned travel to the West Bank.
Upon arrival at the Allenby Border Crossing on December 16, 2025, the entire delegation was denied entry to the West Bank. Israeli authorities cited “public security, public safety, or public order considerations” as the basis for the denial. The Canadian government informed Israel of the delegation prior to travel. I categorically reject the assertion that elected officials and civil society organizations engaging in humanitarian and fact-finding work pose any risk to public safety, security, or public order.
The delegation travelled in good faith with the intention of meeting a broad range of individuals, families, and community members to better understand their daily conditions and lived experiences. In Jordan, we met with displaced families residing in refugee camps and with organizations delivering humanitarian assistance on the ground.
All travel arrangements and documentation required to enter the West Bank were completed in advance and in full compliance with established requirements. The Government of Canada formally notified the Government of Israel ahead of the delegation’s travel. Electronic travel authorizations to enter the West Bank were initially approved but were subsequently revoked on the day of our arrival.
The denial of entry to elected parliamentarians and civil society organizations engaged in peaceful, transparent parliamentary activity raises serious concerns regarding the openness of channels for dialogue. I remain committed to constructive engagement, the rule of law, and the promotion of democratic principles in all international interactions. The use of security and public order narratives to limit legitimate fact-finding work is completely unacceptable.
NDP MP Jenny Kwan, who was born in Hong Kong, said Mr. Lai’s conviction is “another devastating milestone in the systematic dismantling of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.”
“Mr. Lai is not a criminal – he is a prisoner of conscience whose only ‘crime’ is standing up for democracy, freedom of the press, and the rule of law,” she said in a statement.
Bloc Québécois foreign affairs critic Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe said the guilty verdict was “revolting.”
“The Bloc Québécois demands the immediate release of Mr. Lai and we await the same resolve from Mr. Carney and his government,” he said.
Michael Kovrig urges Canada to press China for Jimmy Lai’s release on health grounds
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said Canada condemns the “politically motivated prosecution” of Mr. Lai. She said the government calls for his immediate release.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, who raised Mr. Lai’s case at a G7 foreign ministers meeting last month, also called the prosecution of Mr. Lai “politically motivated” and renewed calls for his “immediate release, for all necessary treatment and for full access to independent medical professionals.”
Amnesty International’s China director Sarah Brooks called it “the death knell for press freedom in Hong Kong, where the essential work of journalism has been rebranded as a crime.”
A group of five Liberal MPs and a lone NDP parliamentarian are planning to spend three days in Israel and the occupied West Bank, at a time of heightened tensions between Ottawa and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Like a previous delegation of different Liberal and NDP MPs in early 2024, this group is taking part in sponsored travel by a registered Muslim non-profit, Canadian Muslim Vote.
The only NDP MP on this trip, Jenny Kwan, who represents Vancouver East, said she has some concerns about gaining entry into Israel.
The group’s itinerary also includes going into the Israeli-occupied West Bank, administered by the PA.
While there, they intend to meet with Palestinian families who have had run-ins with settlers, as well as PA officials to speak about democratic reform and institution-building.
Kwan said she expects there could be obstacles on any step of the itinerary, given the Israeli-controlled access into the swath of land.
“At any juncture, anything could happen,” she said.
Statement from MP Jenny Kwan on the Conviction of Jimmy Lai
Vancouver East MP Jenny Kwan issued the following statement following the conviction of Hong Kong publisher and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai, ahead of his sentencing:
“The conviction of Jimmy Lai marks yet another devastating milestone in the systematic dismantling of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong. Mr. Lai is not a criminal — he is a prisoner of conscience whose only ‘crime’ is standing up for democracy, freedom of the press, and the rule of law.
At 78 years old, Mr. Lai has spent years in solitary confinement, and his health has reportedly deteriorated significantly. His conviction under politically motivated charges stands in stark contrast to the protections guaranteed under Hong Kong’s Basic Law, Article 27, for freedom of speech, press, and publication, as well as Article 39, which incorporates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) into Hong Kong law. This highlights the grave injustice of a system being used to silence dissent and punish independent journalism.
I once again call for the immediate and unconditional release of Jimmy Lai. At a minimum, the Canadian government must urgently work with international partners to secure humanitarian medical release so that Mr. Lai can receive proper care and live out his remaining years with dignity.
Canada has a moral responsibility to speak clearly and act decisively when fundamental human rights are violated. Silence or half-measures only embolden authoritarian regimes and place journalists, activists, and democracy advocates everywhere at greater risk.
The criminalization of dissent and the erosion of press freedom in Hong Kong must not be normalized. Canada must stand firmly on the side of justice, human rights, and those who courageously defend them.”
Just before the House rose, MPs passed two pieces of legislation -- C-4 and C-12 -- which will now head to the Senate for consideration there.
Bill C-4 amends marginal personal income tax rates, eliminates the consumer carbon price and implements a temporary GST rebate for first-time homebuyers. The carbon price has been set to zero since April but this bill eliminates it through legislation.
Bill C-12, a revised version of a border bill, introduces new measures to help the Canada Border Services Agency tackle drug and gun smuggling and auto theft, as well as controversial changes to Canada’s refugee and asylum seeker regimes.
On Tuesday, NDP MPs Leah Gazan and Jenny Kwan joined with refugee and human rights advocates to implore the government not to pass the legislation. They called the legislation an attack on vulnerable people that will do little to make our borders safer but will fuel racism.
If the two-time former central bank governor had hopes that would be the beginning of a trend, however, the past three months would have made short work of any such unbridled — or even bridled — optimism.
Leaving aside the supply bills required to authorize pre-approved spending, since the House of Commons reopened for business on Sept. 16, the only government-initiated legislation to make it through a third reading vote was its bid to rejig the rules for recognizing the citizenship of the children of Canadians born abroad, which was introduced in response to a 2023 Ontario court ruling that found the current law to be unconstitutional with a court-imposed deadline of Nov. 21 to be in place before the offending sections would be automatically declared null and void.
Even that, it’s worth noting, wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the New Democrats — particularly B.C. MP Jenny Kwan, who, despite her party’s lack of official status, was nevertheless able to work with the government to reverse a series of changes made at committee by the Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois, which cleared the way for the bill to proceed to a third reading vote — and, ultimately, through the Senate. It was signed into law on Nov. 20, just one day before the existing law was set to expire, although by that point, the court had extended the deadline to Jan. 20, 2026, to allow for an orderly transition.
NDP MPs Jenny Kwan and Leah Gazan hold a news conference on Parliament Hill to discuss Bill C-12, the Liberal government’s border security bill. They are joined by representatives from women’s organizations and advocates for immigrant and refugee rights. (December 9, 2025) (no interpretation)