Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ignited controversy by referring to the United Kingdom as the ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’, sparking widespread criticism from British officials and Jewish groups.
Netanyahu made the comment on an Israeli podcast, where he expressed dissatisfaction with British media coverage of Israel. He praised British writer Randolph Churchill for his positive coverage of Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, but then sarcastically added that such coverage would be hard to find in today’s Britain, which he jokingly referred to as the ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’.
Reactions to Netanyahu’s Comment
The comment has drawn sharp criticism from a British and Irish Jewish group, which condemned Netanyahu’s words as ‘hateful and divisive’. The group’s co-leads, Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Lev, stated that Netanyahu does not speak for British Jews and that his language is ‘dangerous and irresponsible’.
Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell also denounced Netanyahu’s comment as ‘blatant Islamophobia’, saying that it is time to stop pretending that the Israeli prime minister is a friend of Britain.
Strained UK-Israel Relations
Tensions between the Israeli and British governments have been growing since the Labour Party took power in the UK in 2024. The UK has paused free trade talks with Israel and suspended some arms export licenses, and has also imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli cabinet members.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently apologized for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, and announced plans to consider further sanctions on those involved in the violence. Despite the strained relations, an associate professor at University College London noted that there is still a considerable overlap in policy goals between the two states regarding Iran.
Netanyahu’s comment has sparked outrage and highlighted the growing tensions between the Israeli and British governments. As the relationship between the two countries continues to deteriorate, it remains to be seen how this will impact their cooperation on key issues such as Iran.
