UK condemns Netanyahu’s ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’ remark as diplomatic row deepens
He subsequently expanded on the remark, referring to Britain as potentially becoming the “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.” The comments have been widely criticised as provocative and have added to already strained relations between London and Tel Aviv.
A fresh diplomatic dispute has emerged between Israel and the United Kingdom after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Britain as the “Islamic Republic of Britain” during an interview, prompting a strong rebuke from the British government.
Netanyahu made the remarks during an interview on an Israeli Army Radio podcast while discussing what he described as a decline in British media support for Israel.
Recalling coverage of Israel by Randolph Churchill, the son of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Netanyahu said it was difficult to find similar reporting in contemporary Britain, referring to the country as “the Islamic republic of Britain.”
He subsequently expanded on the remark, referring to Britain as potentially becoming the “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.” The comments have been widely criticised as provocative and have added to already strained relations between London and Tel Aviv.
The British government described Netanyahu’s comments as “completely unacceptable” and confirmed that the matter had been raised with the Israeli government.
The remarks came amid growing disagreements between the two countries over Israel’s conduct of the war in Gaza and Britain’s increasingly critical position on Israeli policies.
Netanyahu’s comments also appeared to echo remarks previously made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
An Israeli government spokesman, David Mencer, subsequently sought to downplay the controversy, saying Netanyahu was referencing an earlier statement by Vance rather than presenting the description as an official characterisation of Britain.
Vance made similar comments about Britain during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, when he suggested that the country could become the first “truly Islamist country” to acquire nuclear weapons.
However, Netanyahu’s comments went beyond simply referring to Vance’s earlier remarks, as he himself used the description “Islamic republic of Britain” during the interview.
The latest dispute comes at a time when relations between Israel and Britain have become increasingly tense over the Gaza conflict and Britain’s criticism of Israeli policies.
British officials have continued to call for an end to the fighting and have taken a more critical position towards the Israeli government, while Netanyahu has repeatedly criticised Western governments and media organisations that he believes have taken positions hostile to Israel.
The latest exchange is therefore unlikely to be viewed in isolation from the broader deterioration in political relations between London and Jerusalem.
For now, the British government’s decision to formally raise the issue with Israel indicates that Netanyahu’s comments have moved beyond political rhetoric and become a diplomatic matter between the two governments.
The dispute also highlights the increasingly sharp language being used by political leaders on both sides as disagreements over Israel’s military campaign, Gaza and the wider Middle East conflict continue.
