Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has labelled the United Kingdom the "Islamic Republic of Great Britain," predicting it would become the first nuclear-armed Islamic republic, in remarks broadcast on Israeli army radio on Aug. 14.
The comments, aired on the Melech Blitzer Haim podcast, drew swift condemnation. The Movement for Reform Judaism called the remarks dangerous, while former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell described them as blatant Islamophobia. Netanyahu's rhetoric echoed far-right Western commentators, including similar claims made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance in 2024.
The outburst comes as relations between London and Jerusalem deteriorate. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has called for sanctions and a ban on trade with illegal settlements, while the UK recently recognised a Palestinian state and sanctioned Israeli ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Netanyahu had contrasted the current British stance with what he described as favourable coverage from Randolph Churchill during the 1967 Six-Day War.