London: Britain banned "Israelis" from attending a prestigious London defense studies college due to the escalation of the war in Gaza, the UK's Ministry of Defence said on Monday, prompting an angry response from Israel.
According to Kuwait News Agency, the Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated, "The Israeli government's decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong." As a result, the UK has decided to pause future Israeli participation in UK-run courses. British military courses emphasize compliance with international humanitarian law, and currently, fewer than five Israeli Defence Forces personnel are enrolled in non-combat military academic courses in the UK.
In response to the exclusion, Amir Baram, the director general of Israel's Ministry of Defence, sent a letter to the college and Britain's MoD, calling the decision "discriminatory" and claiming it breaks with Britain's tradition of tolerance and decency. The letter described Israel's exclusion as "a profoundly dishonorable act of disloyalty to an ally at war."
From next year, the decision will result in Israeli students being refused entry to the Royal College of Defence Studies, which offers a post-graduate course in international strategic studies to students from Britain and around the world. This follows a previous action in September where Britain barred Israeli officials, but not Israeli defense companies, from its biggest arms fair (Defence and Security Equipment International) exhibition over the Gaza escalation.