Benjamin Netanyahu has accused the British Government of behaving “like a rogue state” and appeasing an “Islamist Leftist alliance”, after claiming Israeli intelligence helped prevent an Iranian-backed attack on RAF Fairford.
The Israeli prime minister said the alleged “murderous attack” had been stopped after Israel passed information to British security services. He claimed it would probably have gone ahead without the warning, potentially costing British lives.
“It was stopped. It was prevented,” Mr Netanyahu said. “We don’t know how many British lives would have been lost.”
His remarks came after the Labour Government banned trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank. He also criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to withhold some arms licences and recognise a Palestinian state before all the hostages taken on October 7 had been freed.
Mr Netanyahu said the timing of those decisions, following the intelligence warning, amounted to “mind-blowing hypocrisy”.
“They’re appeasing, they’re attacking Israel, [the country] that is fighting the terrorists in the terrorist regime that is attacking them,” he said. “They appease their enemies, and they attack their protectors, really.”
Israel and Britain maintain intelligence ties involving terrorism, Iran and regional security. Asked whether Israel would continue sharing information with the UK, Mr Netanyahu declined to give a direct answer.
“I won’t get into that, but we just did,” he said, referring to the RAF Fairford incident. “That’s a fact.”
He insisted Israel still regarded Britain as an ally, but said relations had deteriorated significantly. Mr Netanyahu argued that the British Government was allowing domestic political pressure to dictate its approach to Israel.
“There is a pressure from inside Britain to appease these various Islamist forces in Britain,” he said. “And once you start appeasing, you don’t stop.”
Netanyahu attacks Britain’s approach to Israel
Mr Netanyahu described Israel’s conflict with Hamas and other Iranian-backed groups as part of a wider struggle between Western civilisation and its opponents.
“We’re fighting the battle, I call it the Battle of Britain, the Battle of Western civilisation against these barbarians,” he said.
He accused the British Government of turning against Israel while failing to confront Iran and its proxies, claiming that Israel was being portrayed as “this great devil” despite fighting to protect itself and other countries in the region.
“What does the government in Britain do? It turns on the one democracy that is fighting these monstrous regimes,” he said.
Mr Netanyahu also linked criticism of Israel to rising antisemitism, saying that Jewish communities had historically faced vilification before violent attacks. He said Israel’s army and security agencies now gave the country the ability to defend itself.
He questioned why protesters in Britain were not directing their anger at Iran, accusing the regime in Tehran of killing and maiming its own citizens, threatening Western economies and disrupting international waterways.
Turning to Iran’s nuclear programme, Mr Netanyahu said: “This regime will fall. They take time, but they’ll fall.” He attributed pressure on Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps to what he called President Donald Trump’s blockade.
The interview took place in Jerusalem shortly after an attempted hijacking involving a Flydubai flight travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv. Mr Netanyahu said investigators were examining whether the attacker had been sent by others, adding that whoever was responsible would “pay a very heavy price”.
He praised passengers, including a plumber and off-duty pilots, who intervened in the cockpit and restrained the alleged hijacker. Mr Netanyahu said their actions had prevented a disaster resembling the September 11 attacks.
The Israeli prime minister is due to face voters on October 27 after three years of war. Asked why he should be returned to office, he pointed to his government’s record against Hamas and Hezbollah and its efforts to prevent Iran obtaining nuclear weapons.
He also said attacks on his wife Sara and their children had been difficult to endure, describing the alleged character assassination of his family as “hard to take”.
Mr Netanyahu ended by criticising Britain’s handling of small-boat crossings, warning: “I think that if Britain doesn’t regain control over its borders, you will lose Britain.”
He said Britain still had time to “recover” and regain its senses, but expressed regret that the relationship between the two countries had moved in its current direction.
