Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the United Kingdom as the Islamic republic of Britain
and described the country as the first Islamic republic to get a nuclear weapon during a podcast interview. Netanyahu made the remarks on an Israeli podcast broadcast on military radio, objecting to contemporary British media coverage of Israel and comparing it to past decades.
Netanyahu Labels UK an Islamic Republic
in Podcast Interview
During the interview, Netanyahu praised historical coverage by writer Randolph Churchill during the 1967 Six-Day War. Go find that in Britain today, which you could call the Islamic Republic of Britain,
Netanyahu said, according to translated comments. When the interviewer asked if all of Europe shared that condition, Netanyahu doubled down, stating: Someone said the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic Republic of Britain.
He added: We are making sure there won’t be another one here, in Iran.
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, has possessed a nuclear arsenal since the 1990s.
Growing Diplomatic Tensions Between London and Jerusalem
The remarks arrive amid mounting tensions between Israel and the UK’s Labour government. Relations have grown increasingly strained following policy shifts under former Prime Minister Keir Starmer and current Prime Minister Al Jazeera. Under previous Labour leadership, the UK paused free trade talks with Israel, suspended certain arms export licences, and joined allies in recognising a Palestinian state.
Burnham recently apologised for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s military action in Gaza, stating the party needed to do better. Burnham stated that his government would look at further sanctions on individuals involved in violence and consider measures to ban the trade of goods with illegal settlements. Meanwhile, the UK Government has faced domestic criticism for ongoing support during the assault on Gaza—which has killed around 75,200 people—including cooperating on spy flights and continuing sales of parts for F-35 fighter jets.
Backlash From British Jewish Groups and Political Critics
British Jewish community representatives sharply condemned the Israeli prime minister’s statements. 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.
Political opposition figures also criticized the timing of the remarks. Avi Dabush, running for the Knesset with Israel’s opposition Democrats party, attacked Netanyahu for alienating a critical ally amid global isolation. Netanyahu’s comments mirrored similar remarks made by US Vice President JD Vance during the 2024 presidential campaign, when Vance suggested the UK could become the first truly Islamist country that will get a nuclear weapon. Neither the Prime Minister’s Office in Israel nor the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office immediately responded to requests for comment.
По теме
