The left-wing Labour MPs Richard Burgon and Rachel Maskell have been accused of spreading “incredibly dangerous mistruths about national security” after claiming the UK is actively training Israeli soldiers to take part in combat in Gaza in breach of international law.
In response to a written question at Westminster, put in by Labour MP for York Central Maskell, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard admitted that the UK was “currently” training IDF soldiers in the UK.
Maskell asked the government “when the last time was that a member of the Israel Defense Forces was trained by the UK armed forces”.
Pollard responded writing : “As part of routine defence engagement with Israel, the UK is currently training a limited number of Israel Defense Forces personnel on UK-based training courses.”
Rachel Maskell MP
In response to this reply, Burgon posted on X:”It’s truly sickening news that the UK is training Israeli soldiers. It’s also a clear breach of international law.
“The ICJ ruled that ALL states must end any cooperation that aids Israel’s illegal occupation. Britain must end all arms sales and military cooperation with Israel.”
Maskell also posted on X claiming:”My question on training provided by the UK to the Israel Defense Forces shows we’re not only selling arms, we’re also training the forces. This has to stop. I will be following up with more questions.”
But Jewish News has learned that in reality less than 10 IDF personnel are currently enrolled in non-combat academic courses in the UK – part of a longstanding access for foreign military personnel to educational courses in the UK.
A Labour source also responded angrily to Burgon and Maskell’s posts telling Jewish News:”Spreading mistruths and conspiracy theories about national security is incredibly dangerous.
“No Labour MP should be perpetuating such nonsense.”
In a front page story, the Scottish newspaper The National, notorious for its one-sided anti-Israel stance, ran a story on its frontpage headlined “UK ‘currently’ training Israel soldiers on UK soil, Labour admit”.
It added this was taking place ” despite allegations that the military is engaged in genocide in Palestine.”
Left-wing MPs have joined with Jeremy Corbyn and the other independent MPs to mount sustained claims of UK military cooperation with Israel, including unproven claims that F-35 fighter jets are involved in bombing campaigns in Gaza.
