Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Great Britain the ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’, which was a jab at one of Israel’s historically closest European allies.
Netanyahu made this statement during an Israeli podcast Melech Blitzer Haim, which aired on Thursday. He expressed dissatisfaction with the coverage of Israel in the British media. As an example, Netanyahu mentioned British writer Randolph Churchill, whom he praised for the ‘positive’ coverage of Israel during the Six-Day War in 1967. Netanyahu then sarcastically added: ‘Try to find such a thing in Britain today, which can be called the Islamic Republic of Britain’, according to a translation of his comments published by Israeli media.
Criticism and rising tensions
Later in the podcast, Netanyahu likely referred to J.D. Vance’s 2022 comments that Great Britain could become the first ‘Islamist country’ to possess nuclear weapons. ‘Someone said that the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic Republic of Britain’, Netanyahu noted. He added: ‘We are making sure that there is not another one here in Iran’.
A British and Irish Jewish organization criticized the Israeli prime minister’s statements, calling them inflammatory and divisive. ‘At a time when antisemitism, anti-Muslim hatred, and social division are causing real fear across our country, such statements are dangerous and irresponsible’, said Rabbi Charlie Baginski and Rabbi Josh Levy, co-leaders of the Movement for Progressive Judaism. They added: ‘Prime Minister Netanyahu does not speak for British Jews. His words do not represent us’.
Deterioration of relations between governments
Despite traditionally strong ties, tensions between the Israeli and British governments have increased since the Labour Party came to power in Great Britain in 2024. Under former Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Great Britain suspended negotiations on a free trade agreement with Israel and part of the arms export licenses. Like France, Great Britain also imposed sanctions on far-right members of the Israeli government Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
Last year, Great Britain joined allies, including France and Canada, in recognizing a Palestinian state. Prime Minister of Great Britain Andy Burnham recently apologized for the Labour Party’s initial response to Israel’s actions in Gaza, stating that the party was too slow to call for a ceasefire. ‘That is why we need to do more, including considering further sanctions against those involved in the violence in Gaza, as well as measures to ban trade in goods from illegal settlements’, Burnham said. He added: ‘We must do more to pressure the Israeli government’.
Source: Al Jazeera
