JERUSALEM (VINnews)— Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to the United Kingdom as the “Islamic republic of Britain” during a lengthy podcast interview with Army Radio, according to remarks reported Friday.

Discussing Winston Churchill’s son Randolph Churchill and grandson Winston Spencer Churchill, who like the World War II-era British prime minister worked as journalists, Netanyahu said the pair “came here and covered the Six Day War in a very positive way for us.”

“Try to find that now in Britain, which you could call the Islamic republic of Britain,” Netanyahu said, chuckling.

When the interviewer asked whether “all of Europe isn’t already like that,” Netanyahu replied “yes.” The exchange appeared to reference Muslim communities in European countries and the increasingly critical postures many European governments have taken toward Israel in recent years.

Netanyahu continued the joke: “The first nuclear Islamic republic will be the Islamic republic of Britain. We’re making sure there won’t be another one in Iran.”