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

The Israeli PM’s remark comes amid signs of growing tension between Israel and the UK’s Labour government.

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.

‘Does not speak for British Jews’

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.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu does not speak for British Jews. His words do not represent us,” they said.

Despite traditionally strong ties, tensions between the Israeli and British governments have grown since the progressive Labour Party took power in the UK in 2024.

Under former Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the UK paused free trade talks with Israel and suspended some arms export licences.

Like France, the UK has also imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.

Last year, the UK joined allies, including France and Canada, in recognising a Palestinian state.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently apologised for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire.

“That is why we need to do more, which includes looking at further sanctions on those involved in the violence in Gaza but also looking at measures to ban trading goods with illegal settlements,” said Burnham. “We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.”