UK bars Israeli officers from studying at its Royal College of Defence Studies

The Hebrew daily Yedioth Ahronoth (Ynet) reported on Sunday that Britain has decided to stop Israeli army officers from studying at the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, starting next year.

According to the paper, the move is described as another “punitive step” against Israel, in response to its ongoing war on Gaza, which has lasted for nearly two years.

The report said the decision signals a tougher British stance towards Israel. It also comes at a time when estimates suggest that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is preparing to recognise a Palestinian state soon, a step that could increase tensions between the two countries.

The college, established in 1927 on the vision of British leader Winston Churchill, is considered one of the kingdom’s most prestigious military academies. It focuses on national and international security issues and on training senior strategic leaders.

Yedioth Ahronoth noted that Israel has traditionally sent two senior officers each year to study at the college, but this practice will stop for the first time.

The British paper The Telegraph quoted the Israeli Defence Ministry’s director general, retired Maj Gen Amir Baram – who studied at the London college – as saying that the decision represents “a profound disloyalty toward an ally at war,” according to Yedioth Ahronoth.

Baram also described the British boycott of IDF officers at the college as “a discriminatory act” and “a disgraceful break with Britain’s proud tradition of tolerance and basic fairness.”