Overview
- Britain’s Ministry of Defence confirmed it will refuse Israeli applicants to the Royal College of Defence Studies from next year and has paused future Israeli participation in UK‑run courses.
- The decision, framed around concerns over Israel’s operations in Gaza and adherence to international humanitarian law, marks a sharp policy shift in defence education ties.
- The ban covers all Israeli citizens seeking to enroll, not only military officers, according to Israel’s defence ministry.
- Israel’s defence ministry director‑general Amir Baram denounced the exclusion as discriminatory and a disloyal act toward an ally at war.
- It is reportedly the first time the college has excluded Israelis since its founding in 1927, and it follows the UK’s move this month to bar Israeli officials from its largest arms fair.