Earlier this year, I travelled to Palestine, working as a doctor, to investigate access to healthcare for Palestinians. While there, I was struck by the number of children undergoing some of the most invasive, difficult and painful procedures without their parents. I met a little girl having to undergo chemotherapy for months while her parents were left behind in Gaza – the only way to communicate with them via tablets, which have been put on the ward there specifically to deal with this widespread problem. There are premature babies in neonatal units who have never been held by their mothers, as they had to return to Gaza because their permits did not allow them to stay. When the worst happens, parents have to be told over the phone that their children have taken their last breath without them present.

We must not abandon diplomacy at a time when Donald Trump is in the White House and Boris Johnson resides in No 10

The permit system is complex. Everyone I spoke to told me that if its elimination was not politically possible, then it at least needed to be overhauled, as any change could make a huge difference to the lives of the most vulnerable Palestinians. I raised this with the deputy Israeli ambassador when I met her on BBC Radio 4 for our debate on the subject and she invited me to the embassy to discuss the matter at length. In the hope of gaining traction on the issue, and to engage with all sides, I went to the embassy to meet her last week. We discussed the permit system in detail and spoke about who else I could engage with on the matter. Any forward movement on this issue will improve the lives of thousands of Palestinians needing hospital treatment.

Astonishingly, the response on social media to my meeting with the deputy ambassador was horrific. Some people who purport to support the Palestinian cause unleashed disgusting antisemitic abuse. These views do nothing to support the most vulnerable Palestinians – they are racist, misguided, ill-informed and unhelpful. I wanted to put the spotlight on this, as I believe such behaviour needs to be called out. In so doing, I prompted a further backlash, this time from people unable to even recognise antisemitism in the abuse that had been aimed at me. It is startling that there are those who cannot recognise the most basic antisemitic tropes – as a society, we must tackle this.

I am as passionate about achieving peace in the Middle East as any activist alive, but the Venn diagram of those who are so vocally against me holding important talks at the Israeli embassy regarding medical permits for Palestinians and those who believe we must prioritise groups such as Fatah above all else in peace discussions is a perfect circle.

The little girl with cancer in Augusta Victoria hospital needs her mum by her side, not to be stuck in Gaza because her permit is being delayed or denied. Her family are not interested in the antisemitic tropes trolls spew out to their 45 followers. There is no solidarity between them and her – there never will be. Real change happens through robust discussion, not rhetoric. Any hint of antisemitism within the fight for Palestinian rights only hinders the cause.

When I left the hospitals in Palestine, I told the doctors and children that I would return home and do everything I could to try to improve this dreadful situation. Medical staff on the ground told me that they did not care about politics and politicians. Their days are spent busily fighting to ensure that everyone who needs urgent medical treatment receives it, and that everyone has the best possible outcome, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Through Israeli government policies, children are dying alone in hospitals and people are missing out on vital treatment. If I have to go to the Israeli embassy to have a difficult conversation, then I will. In previous years, I have been held at gunpoint at an army checkpoint while trying to treat children. Asking awkward questions of an Israeli government official at their embassy is a walk in the park by comparison.

The idea that engaging with the government that has the power to improve conditions on the ground for Palestinians is somehow wrong is bizarre and deeply misguided. We must not abandon diplomacy at a time when Donald Trump is in the White House and Boris Johnson resides in No 10. To be told not to engage with the people who control the flawed permit system is naive, and dangerous for the most vulnerable people in Palestine.

• Rosena Allin-Khan is Labour MP for Tooting