Netanyahu triggers storm after calling the UK ‘Islamic Republic of Britain’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has triggered a fresh diplomatic and political storm after describing Britain as the “Islamic Republic of Britain” and suggesting it could become the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu made the controversial comments during a podcast interview broadcast on Thursday, while discussing what he portrayed as a dramatic shift in Britain’s political and media environment.

Recalling the favourable coverage Israel once received from British journalists, including members of the Churchill family, Netanyahu contrasted that era with the present.

“Go find that in Britain today, in what is called the Islamic republic of Britain,” he said.

The Israeli prime minister then linked the comment to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, saying: “Someone said the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons will be the Islamic Republic of Britain. We’re making sure there won’t be another one like that in Iran.”

The remarks have been widely interpreted as a swipe at Britain’s changing demographics and its increasingly critical position towards Israel. The comments come at a time when relations between London and Jerusalem have become increasingly strained over Israel’s conduct of the Gaza war and Britain's approach to the conflict.

Piers Morgan hits back

British broadcaster and commentator Piers Morgan responded sharply to Netanyahu, dismissing the Israeli leader as “an idiot” in a post on X.

The exchange rapidly gained traction online, generating a substantial reaction among Morgan’s followers and reigniting an already heated debate over Netanyahu’s comments and Britain’s Muslim population.

Israeli broadcaster and commentator Omri Heim then responded to Morgan with a provocative reference to Birmingham.

“Yes he’s stupid. How’s Birmingham doing; Don’t come crying when you feel the water boiling, frog,” Heim wrote.

The reference appeared aimed at Birmingham’s political leadership and the city’s large South Asian and Muslim communities.

Birmingham becomes part of the row

The Birmingham reference is significant because the city’s ceremonial leadership has included British citizens of Pakistani origin.

However, the details have shifted since the original claim circulated. Birmingham City Council records show that Councillor Zaker Choudhry, who was born in Azad Kashmir, Pakistan, became Lord Mayor in May 2026. The council says he moved to Birmingham as a teenager in 1969.

The council's official Lord Mayor information also records his background in Azad Kashmir and his long-standing involvement in Birmingham community life.

That makes Heim’s Birmingham reference part of a broader argument over immigration, Muslim representation and Britain's changing identity — themes that Netanyahu appeared to invoke when making his “Islamic Republic” description.

Netanyahu’s Iran warning

The Israeli premier's comments were not limited to Britain.

He used the comparison to reinforce Israel's longstanding opposition to Iran becoming a nuclear-armed state, saying his government was “making sure” Iran would not become another Islamic republic with nuclear weapons.

The remarks have drawn criticism because Britain is not an Islamic republic and remains a constitutional monarchy with a Christian-established state church, while its Muslim population remains a minority of the overall population.

The episode nevertheless highlights the increasingly bitter political language surrounding Israel's relationship with Western allies. Netanyahu's description of Britain has now transformed a dispute over Britain's political direction into a wider argument about Islam, immigration, national identity and the future of the West.

And with Morgan's blunt response and Heim's Birmingham counterattack, what began as a provocative comment by the Israeli prime minister has quickly developed into a much broader transatlantic social-media confrontation.