Netanyahu hits London with ‘Islamic Britain’ jibe

The Israeli PM’s remark comes as the new Labor government weighs taking measures against the Jewish state following months of strained relations Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the UK as the “Islamic Republic of Britain,” as the country’s new Labor government weighs taking measures against Israel.Speaking on an Israeli Army Radio podcast on Friday, Netanyahu criticized the British media’s coverage of Israel, while comparing it to reporting during the 1967 Six-Day War.“Go find that in Britain today, which you could call the Islamic Republic of Britain,” he said, as cited by Israeli media.Netanyahu then echoed a 2024 joke made by US Vice-President JD Vance, saying Britain could become the first “Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.”According to the latest census-based figures, Muslims account for around 6% of the UK’s population, while Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, has possessed nuclear weapons since the 1990s. The British Foreign Office called the comments “completely unacceptable,” noting that the issue had been raised with the Israeli government.Relations between London and Israel have deteriorated since the UK formally recognized...