Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the United Kingdom as the “Islamic Republic of Britain” while criticising recent British media coverage of Israel and the UK government’s policies. He made the remark on the Israeli podcast “Melekh Blitzar Haim,” broadcast on Thursday. Netanyahu cited British writer Randolph Churchill’s positive coverage of Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War and said similar coverage would be difficult to find in Britain today.

Netanyahu also referred to a 2022 comment by US Vice President JD Vance about Britain possibly becoming the first nuclear-armed Islamist country. Raising Iran, Netanyahu said they were ensuring that another country like Iran would not emerge there. Rabbis Charley Baginsky and Josh Levy, co-leaders of the Movement for Progressive Judaism, called the language dangerous and irresponsible amid fears caused by antisemitism, Islamophobia and social division. They said Netanyahu does not represent British Jews.

Former Downing Street chief of staff Gavin Barwell described the statement as overt Islamophobia. The report says UK-Israel tensions have increased since Labour took power in 2024. University College London associate professor Radwan Abuharb called the comments a new low in relations, while noting significant policy alignment between the countries on Iran.