The British government has condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he described the United Kingdom as the “Islamic Republic of Britain” and repeated a claim portraying it as an Islamic state with nuclear weapons.

“These comments are completely unacceptable and we have raised them with the Israeli government,” a British government spokesperson said.

Netanyahu made the remarks during an interview for an Israeli Army Radio podcast released on Thursday.

While discussing British attitudes towards Israel, Netanyahu praised journalist Randolph Churchill, the son of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill, for his favourable reporting on Israel during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

“Go find that in today's Britain, in what is called the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu said, according to a transcript reported by The Guardian.

The interviewer responded by asking whether all of Europe had become similar. Netanyahu agreed and referred to a remark that Britain would become the first “Islamic republic” with nuclear weapons.

Netanyahu then linked the joke to Israel's war with Iran, saying Israel would ensure there was not a “second one” in Iran.

The claim about Britain being the first Islamic republic with nuclear weapons is factually incorrect if taken literally. Pakistan, whose official name is the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, has possessed nuclear weapons since 1998.

The formulation also closely resembles a remark made by JD Vance before becoming US vice-president. During the 2024 presidential campaign, Vance suggested Britain could become the first “truly Islamist country” to acquire nuclear weapons.

An Israeli government spokesperson sought to play down Netanyahu's comments, telling The Times of Israel that the prime minister had been quoting Vance rather than making an original assertion. The British government nevertheless said it had formally raised the matter with Israel.

The dispute comes during a period of worsening relations between the governments of Netanyahu and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Burnham, who entered Downing Street in July, has taken a more critical position towards Israeli policy than his predecessor. Before becoming prime minister, he apologised for Labour's initial response to the war in Gaza, saying the party had not handled the issue correctly and needed to “do better”.

He has condemned Hamas's 7 October 2023 attacks and antisemitic incidents in Britain while also calling for stronger criticism of Israel's conduct in Gaza.

In July, Burnham described Palestinian suffering in Gaza as “a scar on our collective conscience” and said it was unacceptable for Palestinian civilians, including children, to continue to be killed. His government has also considered further sanctions and restrictions on trade involving Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Netanyahu's remarks also drew criticism inside Israel. Avi Dabush, a candidate for the opposition Democrats party, accused the prime minister of attacking an important international ally while Israel faced growing diplomatic isolation.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office did not answer The Guardian's question on whether Netanyahu's description of Britain represented an official position of the Israeli government.