Leadership at the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) sought to distance the institution from a government-imposed ban on Israeli military personnel, fearing the policy would tarnish the college’s reputation for global engagement. Internal emails obtained by Al Jazeera show that senior officials viewed the government’s decision as a threat to the college's "standalone brand."
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) implemented the ban last September as Israel prepared for a major ground assault on Gaza City. The policy effectively barred Israeli officers from attending the prestigious UK institution.
Managing the narrative
Commandant George Norton, a retired British army officer, wrote to Lieutenant General Tom Copinger-Symes expressing concern that the public perceived the college as the entity responsible for the exclusion. Norton argued it was "important" for government ministers to clarify that course invitations are a matter of state-to-state diplomacy rather than academic selection.
"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," Norton wrote. He asked the military official to ensure the public narrative emphasized the government's role without appearing to challenge official policy.
Internal discussions at the college intensified after the ban triggered a wave of media inquiries. Deputy commandant Tamara Jennings described the term "ban" as unhelpful to the college's objectives.
"I appreciate that while we fall under MOD, we do have a standalone brand and our reputation as a welcoming college that positively wants to engage with all... is exactly what this place is about," Jennings wrote to her colleagues. "So a story which says RCDS have banned anyone is unhelpful, both in terms of attribution of the decision and the term ‘ban’."
Despite Norton’s request, official records from the House of Lords show that Development Minister Jenny Chapman did not explicitly clarify the college's lack of involvement during parliamentary questioning. Instead, she focused on the government’s broader rationale for the policy.
An MOD spokesperson stated that decisions regarding foreign enrollment in military education are determined on a "case-by-case basis" after assessing potential benefits and risks. The spokesperson added that the government keeps foreign attendance on UK military courses under constant review.
The RCDS did not provide a comment when contacted regarding the correspondence. The conflict in Gaza has placed significant strain on traditional UK-Israel diplomatic and military ties, with fewer than five Israeli personnel currently enrolled in UK-based military courses.
