Pro-Israel lawyer kicked off LBC show after on-air row with Iain Dale over MP deportations

She referenced Israel’s Law of Entry, which was changed in 2017 to allow the refusal of entry to anyone “who knowingly issues a public call for boycotting Israel”, as the legal basis for the decision. Yang has previously called for a boycott of Israeli ministers, while Mohamed has advocated boycotting Israeli settlements.

Hausdorff said: “This is the sort of legislative framework that the UK also has and has, not infrequently, adopted against those that are not considered to be conducive to the public good.”

Indeed, Hausdorff cited Leader of the Opposition Kemi Badeonch’s comparison of the deportations with the decision of the UK to bar both Israeli politician Moshe Feigelin and Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Feigelin himself has weighed in on the row, in an exclusive interview with the JC, to accuse the government of hypocrisy.

But it was the lawyer’s comment on the “baseless falsehoods about Israel that we just heard from your previous contributor Azriel Bermant” that drew a sharp response from the radio host.

He said: “[Bermant] didn’t utter any falsehoods, don’t insult one of your fellow guests. That’s very rude.”

Hausdorff responded that “saying that Israel is no longer a democracy or no longer a democracy that can handle criticism within the country I’m afraid is baseless. There is great debate all the time, and indeed individuals calling for boycotts within Israel itself.”

Another flashpoint was when Hausdorff accused the MPs of “targeting Israel...[with] a public smear campaign” and “representing something that is untrue” to immigration officials about their status as part of a parliamentary delegation, adding: “One almost wonders whether this whole exercise has been [created] with every expectation of the result as another PR stunt and to create a diplomatic incident”.

Dale called the latter claim a “disgraceful allegation with no proof at all”, but the legal expert claimed that the organisation who had organised the MPs’ trip has “a very thorough track record of anti-Israel activity and plainly, on this occasion, had no preparation on the ground”.

Then, when Dale asked whether his criticism of the Israeli government could see him similarly barred from Israel, Hausdorff accused him of presenting a “misrepresentation of what has gone on here”, drawing a further rebuke.

Dale snapped: “I’ve had enough of you repeatedly accusing my guest of misrepresentation, and now you’ve done it to me twice – you don’t get a third chance.

"You can disagree but you don’t accuse fellow guests of misrepresentation and you don’t accuse the host of the programme of what you have done.”

In response, Hausdorff said that she had repeatedly offered to come on the show to “address the concerns” that Dale raised but that her offer had been denied, something which Dale disputed.

She then said that Dale’s example had not been a “fair comparison” and repeated her claim that it was “misrepresentative”, at which point he ended their call, terminating the interview.

Yet the row continued on social media, with UKLFI posting a clip of the incident, saying: “Natasha Hausdorff, UK LFI legal director, interview on LBC about two UK MPs refused entry to Israel; tells the truth and is kicked off the show.”

Dale responded by posting his own link to the exhange on the LBC YouTube channel, adding: “This is the full nine minute exchange from last night's show with Natasha Hausdorff from UK Lawyers for Israel.

"She persistently insulted my previous guest and myself. I gave her ample opportunity to make her case and let her speak uninterrupted for large sections.

"Given I am normally accused of being a 'Zionist shill' and the most pro-Israel presenter on UK radio, it is someone baffling to now see some of the accusations being levelled against me. But hey, my shoulders are broad. I question both sides robustly because that's my job.”

This article has been updated to clarify the reason for the denial of entry to the MPs and details of Hausdorff’s exchange with Dale.