Kemi Badenoch is facing backlash for supporting Israel after the country refused entry to two Labour MPs.

Yuan Yang and Abtisam Mohamed travelled to Israel and were planning to go on to the West Bank, but they – together with their aides – were questioned by the Israeli authorities and turned back on Saturday.

They were allegedly suspected of planning to “document the activities of security forces and spread anti-Israel hatred”, according to a statement from the Israeli immigration ministry.

While the UK government has made it clear this was “unacceptable”, Badenoch has suggested otherwise.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the Conservative leader said: “Countries should be able to control their borders.

“What I think is shocking is that we have MPs in Labour who other countries will not allow through. I think that is very significant.”

She added: “If you look at the reasons the Israeli government has given, they don’t believe [the MPs] are going to comply with their laws. MPs do not have diplomatic immunity. I believe the people who represent us in parliament should be able to go anywhere in the world and people not be worried about what they’re going to do.”

She added the UK “does the same thing” and refuses entry to plenty of people.

“I don’t think we should be setting precedents in a different way,” she said.

However, just hours later, the Tory shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, Richard Fuller, seemed to contradict Badenoch during his own interview on Times Radio.

He said: “I haven’t seen the details of the MPs, whether on an official trip or a personal trip. But, you know, any member of parliament who goes on an official trip should be, I would think, welcomed in any country. They’re going there to be better informed about the situation and then report back to their parliamentary colleagues about what they have found.”

He added: “I think we should all be very worried about democracy. Democracy isn’t a guarantee in life. Freedom isn’t guaranteed.”

Meanwhile, foreign secretary David Lammy quickly slammed Badenoch’s comments on X.

He said: “It’s disgraceful you are cheerleading another country for detaining and deporting two British MPs.

“Do you say the same about Tory MPs banned from China?

“This government will continue to stand up for the rights of our MPs to speak their mind, whatever their party.”

The foreign secretary had already responded to the initial incident, describing it as “unacceptable, counterproductive, and deeply concerning”.

He said: “I have made clear to my counterparts in the Israeli government that this no way to treat British Parliamentarians, and we have been in contact with both MPs tonight to offer our support.”

The Labour chair of the foreign affairs committee Emily Thornberry also criticised Badenoch over her remarks, saying: “These are two young women who are potential leaders, people listen to what they say.”

She said: “Israel is badly advised to try and alienate them, to try to humiliate them and to try to treat them in this way.”

Thornberry explained this was an “insult to Britain and an insult to parliament”.

“I am outraged, and I cannot believe that the leader of the opposition would simply take on the face of it what the Israeli government says,” the Labour MP said.

“Because we know there are times when what the Israeli government say the first time isn’t what they say when they’ve had a chance to think about it.”