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The British government has reportedly hit back at comments by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu describing the UK “the Islamic republic of Britain.”
A government spokesperson has labelled the remarks as “completely unacceptable” and said that the issue had been raised with the Israeli government.
Netanyahu made the comments during an army radio podcast interview, in which he also joked that the UK was the “first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.”
During the interview, the Israeli leader praised Randolph Churchill, the son of former British PM Winston Churchill, for positive coverage of Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967.
“Try and find that now, in what is called the Islamic republic of Britain,” he said.
The host encouraged the point, saying: “Isn’t all of Europe like that now?”
To which Netanyahu agreed, adding: “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,” he continued.
The Islamic Republic of Pakistan has been a nuclear power since 1998.
Netanyahu’s comments echo similar claims made by politicians and activists on the British and international right, who claim that Britain is becoming increasingly influenced by Islam.
The UK and Israel’s relationship has come under increasing strain in recent months, particularly since new British PM Andy Burnham’s arrival in Downing Street.
A few weeks before taking over as prime minister, Burnham apologised for his Labour party’s initial response to the war in Gaza and said that it needed to “do better.”
While he condemned the Hamas militant group’s “monstrous” October 7 attacks and “appalling” antisemitic incidents in the UK, he said it was vital to “be clear in our criticism of what has happened in Gaza.”
“The unbearable suffering in Gaza is a scar on our collective conscience,” Burnham said in early July.
“It’s completely unacceptable that innocent Palestinians, including children, continue to be killed,” he continued, adding that Westminster must put more pressure on the Israeli government.
Additional sources • AFP