Netanyahu Calls UK the 'Islamic Republic of Britain,' Claims It Will Be 'First Islamic Republic' With Nukes

Benjamin Netanyahu told an Israeli army radio interviewer that Britain is "the Islamic republic of Britain" and claimed it would become "the first Islamic republic" to acquire nuclear weapons.

The remarks, made public in a Guardian report on the podcast interview, came as Netanyahu contrasted decades-old favorable coverage of Israel by journalist Randolph Churchill with what he characterized as hostile coverage in Britain today. "Go find that in today's Britain, in what is called the Islamic republic of Britain," he said, according to the Guardian's transcript.

When the host asked whether Netanyahu was unfairly singling out the UK compared to the rest of Europe, he did not walk the comment back. Instead he doubled down: "Yes, but you know someone said the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic republic of Britain."

The claim ignores an inconvenient fact. Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, has held nuclear weapons since the 1990s.

A trope, not a new one

Netanyahu's framing echoes a recurring far-right talking point about Britain's Muslim population, one that critics say exaggerates its size and influence to stoke fear. JD Vance used nearly identical language during the 2024 US presidential campaign, warning the UK could become the first "truly Islamist country" to obtain a nuclear weapon. London mayor Sadiq Khan has faced similar racialized attacks from foreign right-wing figures, including Donald Trump.

UK Muslim community leaders have reported hate crimes reaching new highs alongside rising far-right rhetoric and growing support for anti-immigrant parties.

London's response

The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office called the comments "completely unacceptable" and confirmed it had raised them directly with the Israeli government. Netanyahu's office did not respond to questions about whether his statement reflects official Israeli policy toward Britain.

The episode lands amid an already strained relationship. Since Andy Burnham became prime minister, he has apologized for what he called Labour's inadequate initial response to Israel's military campaign in Gaza and pledged in July to increase pressure on Netanyahu's government, including additional sanctions and a possible ban on trade in goods produced in illegal settlements.

Criticism from inside Israel

Avi Dabush, a Knesset candidate with the opposition Democrats party, said Netanyahu's mockery of a critical ally reflects Israel's deepening international isolation. "That's what happens when there's a horrific diplomatic failure, and an inability to rally countries in the world in favour of our interests," Dabush said in a social media post cited by the Guardian.

The comments add to a pattern in which Netanyahu, leading what critics describe as Israel's most far-right government to date, has clashed with longtime Western allies while cultivating ties with far-right figures abroad, some of whom have documented histories of antisemitic rhetoric.