Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his critical remarks about the growing Muslim population in Britain.
In an interview with Israel Army Radio on Thursday, Netanyahu said Britain could be known as an “Islamic Republic.” Netanyahu said someone had remarked that the first Islamic Republic to possess nuclear weapons would be the British Islamic Republic, and, referring to Iran, he said: “We are making sure there is no other republic.”
Previous remarks about Muslims in Europe
Netanyahu had previously made similar statements about Muslims in Europe. In an interview with the US Fox News channel in late July, he referred to a person who said they were learning Arabic in order to travel to London and Paris.
Criticism of Muslim politicians
Israel had previously criticized Muslim politicians in Western countries for taking on roles such as mayors and members of parliament.
In this context, Tel Aviv had targeted Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York. Muslim politician Sadiq Khan serves as mayor of London.
Muslim population in Britain
Approximately 4 million Muslims live in Britain. They make up about 6 percent of the country’s total population.
The figure is based on census data and statistical reports published by the UK Office for National Statistics and the Muslim Council of Britain.