UK defence academy to bar Israelis over Gaza war

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A prestigious UK government-run defence studies institute will not accept Israeli post-graduates from September 2026 over the Gaza war, the defence ministry said Monday.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed to AFP that enrolment for Israelis at the Royal College of Defence Studies would be paused next year, but current students would be allowed to remain.

The post-graduate college part of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom offers training for "strategic thinkers and leaders within the armed forces and civil service", according to its website, with international students allowed to study specific courses.

"UK military educational courses have long been open to personnel from a wide range of countries, with all UK military courses emphasising compliance with international humanitarian law," an MoD spokesperson said.

"However, the Israeli government's decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong," the spokesperson said, calling for an "immediate ceasefire".

A UK defence ministry official told parliament in June that the college was providing "non-combat academic courses" to "fewer than five" members of the Israeli military.

Amir Baram, the director general of Israel's defence ministry, who studied at the college, denounced the decision as a "discriminatory act" and "disloyalty to an ally at war".

"Frankly, Israel's exclusion is nothing less than an act of self-sabotage of British security," Baram, also a senior Israeli army military official, wrote in a letter to the UK defence ministry, according to The Daily Telegraph.

Britain has suspended some arms export licences to Israel for weapons used in Gaza, but some UK-made parts, such as components for Israel's F-35 warplanes, were exempt.

Last week, Israeli officials were banned from attending a major arms fair in London as Prime Minister Keir Starmer tries to put some distance between his government and Israel's war against Hamas.

However, 51 Israeli weapons companies still attended the show, including Elbit, a major arms manufacturer, prompting a pro-Palestinian protest outside the exhibition.

London has called Israel's latest push to escalate its nearly two-year-long military offensive in Gaza "wrong".