Gaza War: Britain Punishes Israel in an Unexpected Way

As the war in Gaza continues, international criticism of Israel is mounting, prompting several countries to take punitive measures against the Jewish state.

In this context, the British Ministry of Defence has deemed Israel’s conduct in Gaza “wrong,” leading it to ban Israelis from enrolling in one of the UK’s most prestigious defence academies.

The British government confirmed that the Royal College of Defence Studies will no longer admit Israeli students starting next year, according to The Telegraph. This marks the first time the esteemed institution has excluded Israeli candidates.

The decision sparked outrage in Israel. Amir Baram, Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defence and a former student of the academy, denounced it as “a deeply shameful act, betraying an ally at war.”

In a letter to the British Ministry of Defence, published by The Telegraph, Baram described the move as “discriminatory,” amounting to “a disgraceful breach of Britain’s long-standing traditions of tolerance and courtesy.”

He argued that the decision came at a time when Israel was “defending international shipping from Houthi aggression, preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of an Islamist regime chanting ‘Death to England,’ and fighting to rescue 48 hostages held by Hamas.”

He went on: “The institution’s response is to silence Israeli voices… Frankly, excluding Israel is nothing less than an act of self-sabotage against Britain’s own security.”

The Israeli Ministry of Defence clarified that the exclusion applies to all Israeli citizens, not just military personnel.

For its part, a spokesperson for the British Ministry of Defence stressed that British military courses had long been open to individuals from a wide range of countries, while underscoring that all such courses “emphasize compliance with international humanitarian law.”

He added that “the Israeli government’s decision to escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” insisting that “a diplomatic solution must be reached to end this war now.”

As for the academy, the Royal College of Defence Studies explained that its postgraduate program in international strategic studies focuses on “political, diplomatic, security, social, and economic issues at the grand strategic level—the level at which governments make decisions on such matters nationally and internationally.”

Around 110 participants, both from the UK and abroad, join the program each year. Notable alumni include Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke, Britain’s Chief of Staff during World War II, and former Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf.

The Royal College of Defence Studies is part of the UK Defence Academy, overseen by the Ministry of Defence and established in 1927 “to foster understanding between senior military officers, diplomats, civil servants, and officials.”

The exclusion of Israelis from the college is the latest in a series of punitive actions taken by the British government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

Just days ago, London barred Israeli officials from participating in the UK’s largest arms fair. Last year, Starmer suspended 30 out of 350 British arms export licenses to Israel.

Finally, Starmer announced that Britain will recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York later this month, unless Israel ends its war in Gaza and commits not to annex the West Bank.