Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has stirred an unexpected controversy with Britain's right wing by backing Argentina's claim to the British-controlled Falkland Islands.
Last week, Yair Netanyahu took to X and, in Spanish, declared: "The Falkland Islands belong to Argentina." He suggested that Israel should back Argentina's stance because far-right President Javier Milei's government aligns more closely with Israeli interests.
Netanyahu criticized the United Kingdom for "hypocrisy and hostility towards Israel" due to their recognition of 'Palestine' and accused them of perpetuating "antisemitism" and "blood libels." His comments emerged just days before Donald Trump, the former United States President and a close ally of Milei, hinted that the US was reconsidering its position on the Falklands.
While Yair Netanyahu's remarks seemed directed at the UK's Labour government, which includes both centre-left and left-wing politicians, they have also angered right-wing British figures who are typically supportive of Israel.
Rupert Lowe, head of the far-right Restore Britain party, directly responded on X, asserting that the Falklands would "remain" British. He emphasized that a government led by his party would "go to war if necessary to ensure it." Lowe also advised Netanyahu to focus on Israel's issues and urged the Israeli government to clarify its stance.
Despite its vocal presence, Restore Britain has limited public backing, with just 3 percent of poll respondents indicating support for the party in a general election.
Sir Conor Burns, a former Conservative Party MP, called Yair Netanyahu's comments "stupid, " warning they could harm Israel’s support on the British right. Far-right British activist Tommy Robinson, a known supporter of Israel, posted on X affirming British sovereignty over the Falklands as a "true fact, " though he made no mention of the Israeli leader's son.
Rob Geist Pinfold, a lecturer in security studies at King’s College London, noted that Yair Netanyahu's remarks are the latest instance of him causing "consternation amongst Israel’s self-declared friends in Europe." Geist Pinfold told Al Jazeera that Netanyahu "has antagonised the constituency in Britain most inclined to defend Israel."
Though Yair Netanyahu holds no official position, he is "alleged to have far more de facto power behind the scenes due to Benjamin Netanyahu’s increasingly autocratic leadership style, " Geist Pinfold added.
James Vaughan, a lecturer in international history at Aberystwyth University, suggested the comments could estrange some on the British right, despite it not being a monolithic group. Vaughan noted that while mainstream British right-wing movements typically support Israel, parts of the "extreme right" have historically been "anti-Israeli forces in British politics." He also highlighted signs of Restore Britain "reverting to older, anti-Semitic traditions."
Last year, Restore Britain's Lowe sparked controversy with a comment about a small camera, saying, "In days gone by you’d call it a Jewish camera, but that would be politically incorrect. Because it’s so small." He has also pushed for banning kosher and halal meat, though he denies accusations of antisemitism.
No Israeli government official has publicly backed Yair Netanyahu’s stance on the Falklands. However, the islands have long been a "thorny issue in UK-Israel relations, " including during the early 1980s due to Israeli arms sales to Argentina.
Israeli officials have previously invoked the Falklands in defense of their policies. During a United Nations Security Council debate in February, then-Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar defended Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, contrasting them with the Falklands.
"It is our country; it’s not 13,000 kilometres away from our country, like the Falkland Islands, " Saar stated, addressing then-British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. "The Argentinians call it the Malvinas Islands – a dispute you haven’t resolved with Argentina until today."
On July 31, Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, similarly challenged Spain over its control of the African enclave of Ceuta. This was amid Spanish authorities facing a surge of people crossing the Moroccan border into the territory.
"Maybe before it continues lecturing us, it’s time it explained to the world why it [Spain] still maintains colonial enclaves in Africa, " Danon wrote on X. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and Madrid has imposed an arms embargo and other measures against Israel. Like the UK, Spain recognizes Palestinian statehood.
The re-emergence of the Falklands issue "indicates underlying UK-Israeli tensions that are obviously rooted more in fundamental disagreements about Gaza, the West Bank and wider Middle Eastern conflicts, " Vaughan said.
Relations between Israel and Britain have shown signs of strain under the Labour government, which took power in 2024. Under former Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the UK paused free-trade talks with Israel and suspended some arms export licenses. The UK has also imposed sanctions on far-right Israeli cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
The UK’s new leader, Andy Burnham, is currently considering further measures related to illegal Israeli settlements. Israeli officials have openly criticized the UK as relations have soured, with Prime Minister Netanyahu recently referring to the UK as the "Islamic Republic of Britain."
