UK bars Israelis from top military academy over Gaza war

FILE: Palace of Westminster, Big Ben, and Westminster Bridge as seen from the south bank of the River Thames. (Photo By Terry Ott from Washington, DC Metro Area, United States of America/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

By Anadolu, Philippine News Agency

GENEVA – The UK will no longer admit Israelis to one of its most prestigious defense academies, the Royal College of Defence Studies, citing Israel’s conduct in Gaza, The Telegraph reported Sunday.

The Ministry of Defense confirmed that from next year, Israel will be excluded from the college, which has trained senior officers and officials from around the world since 1927.

The decision marked the first time Israelis have been barred from the institution, founded under Winston Churchill’s vision of fostering international understanding among military and civilian leaders, according to the report.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defense said Israel’s actions in Gaza were “wrong,” and that the government had decided to withhold access to the college as a result.

The move has drawn sharp criticism in Israel.

Amir Baram, director general of Israel’s Defense Ministry and himself a graduate of the college, called it “a profoundly dishonorable act of disloyalty to an ally at war.”

In a letter to the Ministry of Defense, Baram described the decision as “a discriminatory act” and “a disgraceful break with Britain’s proud tradition of tolerance and plain decency.”