'Islamic Republic of Britain': UK Condemns Netanyahu Over Nuclear Quip on Military Podcast
Downing Street raised a formal complaint after the Israeli prime minister mocked the UK and claimed it would be the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sparked a diplomatic dispute with London after referring to the United Kingdom as the "Islamic republic of Britain" and remarking that it would become the first Islamic republic armed with nuclear weapons.
A spokesperson for the British government condemned the comments as "completely unacceptable" and confirmed that officials had formally raised the matter with the Israeli government.
Netanyahu made the comments during an interview on an Army Radio podcast. The episode was recorded at the Petah Tikva studio of NVP, a production company contracted by Netanyahu's Likud party ahead of Israel's October 27 election.
During the recording, Netanyahu praised the pro-Israel coverage provided by Randolph Churchill—the son of wartime British Prime Minister Winston Churchill—during the 1967 Six-Day War, contrasting it with current British discourse.
"Try and find that now, in what is called the Islamic republic of Britain," Netanyahu remarked. When the podcast host asked whether all of Europe had become similar, Netanyahu added: "Yes, but someone said, 'the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic republic of Great Britain.' So, we'll make sure there isn't a second one here in Iran."
Despite Netanyahu's quip, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been an established nuclear power since 1998.
Defending the prime minister's comments, Israeli government spokesman David Mencer stated that Netanyahu was quoting previous statements made by US Vice President JD Vance.
The remarks also drew sharp criticism from religious leaders in the UK. Rabbi Charley Baginsky and Rabbi Josh Lev, co-leads of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, condemned Netanyahu's statements as hateful, divisive, and dangerous.
The exchange adds fresh strain to diplomatic relations between London and Jerusalem under British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, whose administration has adopted a firmer stance on the conflict in Gaza and signalled readiness to apply pressure on the Israeli government.
