LONDON (Reuters) -Britain has banned Israelis from attending a prestigious London defence 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.
While Britain remains a close ally of Israel’s, it has recently tried to pressure its government over the conflict, threatening in July to recognise a Palestinian state unless Israel takes steps to relieve suffering in the enclave.
The latest move means from next year Israeli students will be 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.
It follows Israel’s announcement in August of plans to escalate the conflict by moving to take control of Gaza City, where about a million Palestinians have been sheltering, with the aim of eliminating the militant group Hamas.
“The Israeli government’s decision to further escalate its military operation in Gaza is wrong,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence, which owns the college.
“We have therefore taken the decision to pause future Israeli participation in UK-run courses.”
Responding 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 saying it breaks with Britain’s tradition of tolerance and decency.
“Israel’s exclusion is a profoundly dishonourable act of disloyalty to an ally at war,” the letter said.
British military courses emphasise compliance with international humanitarian law, the MoD spokesperson added. Fewer than five Israeli Defence Forces personnel are currently enrolled in non-combat military academic courses in the UK.
Earlier in September, Britain barred Israeli officials, but not Israeli defence companies, from its biggest arms fair over the Gaza escalation.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; Editing by Jan Harvey)
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