UK bars Israelis from prestigious defense academy over Gaza genocide

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Telegraph
Today 20:29

Britain has barred Israelis from the Royal College of Defence Studies and suspended arms ties, signaling mounting international pressure on "Israel" over its Gaza war and a shift toward recognizing Palestinian statehood.

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Front view of the main faculty building. (image sourced from the school's official website www.da.mod.uk/)

The Telegraph on Sunday revealed that Britain has moved to exclude Israelis from the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS), marking the latest sign of "Israel's" growing isolation over its relentless war on Gaza.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that, beginning next year, Israeli applicants will no longer be accepted at the prestigious academy, the first time such a measure has been enforced.

Amir Baram, "Israel's" security ministry director general and an alumnus of the college, lashed out at the decision, calling it "a profoundly dishonourable act of disloyalty to an ally at war" and denouncing it as "a discriminatory act" and "a disgraceful break with Britain's proud tradition of tolerance, and plain decency."

Baram argued the UK was undermining its own security, claiming "Israel" was "defending international shipping from Houthi aggression, preventing nuclear weapons from falling into the hands of an Islamist regime that chants 'Death to England', and fighting to bring home 48 hostages from Hamas captivity." He added: "The establishment's response is to silence Israeli voices... Frankly, Israel's exclusion is nothing less than an act of self-sabotage of British security."

London Signals Break

The Ministry of Defence, however, made clear that London's decision was rooted in opposition to "Israel's" intensifying attacks on Gaza. A spokesman stated, "The Israeli government's decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong. There must be a diplomatic solution to end this war now, with an immediate ceasefire, the return of the hostages, and a surge in humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza."

The exclusion comes alongside wider measures against "Israel": officials were barred from participating in the UK's largest arms exhibition, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suspended dozens of British arms export licences. Starmer has also pledged that Britain will support recognition of a Palestinian state at the United Nations unless "Israel" ends its Gaza offensive and abandons annexation plans in the West Bank.

Isolation Deepens

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Britain's stance, accusing London of "rewarding Hamas" and calling the suspension of arms sales "shameful."

Yet inside "Israel," anger is not only directed abroad. The Hostages and Missing Families Forum, the main Israeli organization pushing for the return of captives, declared that Netanyahu himself was the primary obstacle to securing a deal. "Every time a deal approaches, Netanyahu sabotages it," the group said, insisting that his political maneuvering, rather than Hamas, was prolonging the war.

This latest move by the Israeli regime’s longtime ally reflects mounting global pressure on "Israel" to end its Gaza campaign and pursue a political path increasingly shaped around Palestinian statehood.