Israeli PM Netanyahu calls UK ‘the Islamic Republic of Britain’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has referred to the United Kingdom as the “Islamic Republic of Britain”, a dig at one of Israel’s historically closest European allies.

Netanyahu made the remark on the Israeli podcast Melech Blitzer Haim that aired on Thursday as he objected to British media coverage of Israel.

As an example, Netanyahu pointed to British writer Randolph Churchill, who he praised for his “positive” coverage of Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War. Netanyahu then added sarcastically: “Go find that in Britain today, which you could call the Islamic Republic of Britain,” according to translated comments published by Israeli media.

Later in the podcast, Netanyahu appeared to reference comments made by JD Vance in 2022 that the UK may constitute the first nuclear-armed “Islamist country”.

“Someone said the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic Republic of Britain,” Netanyahu said.

“We are making sure there won’t be another one here, in Iran,” he added.

A British and Irish Jewish group criticised the Israeli prime minister’s comments as hateful and divisive.

“At a time when antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred and social division are causing real fear across our country, language of this kind is dangerous and irresponsible,” said Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Lev, co-leads of the Movement for Progressive Judaism.