How a UK military college sought to distance itself from ban on Israelis

"The Ministry of Defence announced the ban on Israelis attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in September last year after Israel unveiled plans to launch a major ground assault on Gaza City."

"Correspondence shows that the move prompted discussion within the RCDS about potential harm to its reputation as an institution which welcomes students of all backgrounds."

"Norton told Copinger-Symes that it would appear to be important for Jenny Chapman, the UK's development minister, to highlight that the college does not invite or select participants in its courses."

"These key pieces of information have been absent from the majority of media portrayal, generating a perception that RCDS itself is deciding which countries to invite or not to invite."

The UK government banned Israelis from the Royal College of Defence Studies following Israel's planned ground assault on Gaza. This decision raised concerns about the college's reputation, leading its leadership to seek to clarify that the institution had no role in the ban. Commandant George Norton communicated with Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes to ensure the public understood that invitations to the college were a government matter, not a decision made by the college itself, which was misrepresented in media coverage.

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