TEL AVIV, Israel — U.S. Vice President JD Vance took aim at members of Israel’s government Thursday, asserting that the country is deeply isolated on the world stage and that its leaders have not shown adequate appreciation for American diplomatic and military backing.
The sharp remarks widened a growing crack in the relationship between the two allied nations, coming in the wake of an interim agreement reached between the United States and Iran to bring their conflict to a close.
Speaking at a White House news briefing, Vance said, “Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”
The United States and Israel launched a joint military campaign against Iran on February 28, working in close coordination throughout the operation, which lasted more than a month.
Tensions began surfacing after a preliminary ceasefire was announced on April 8. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed to keep the military campaign going, while Trump moved to end a war that had grown unpopular domestically and was unsettling global markets.
Although Netanyahu has avoided openly criticizing the ceasefire deal reached this week, some members of his Cabinet have not held back. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who leads a small ultranationalist political party, declared that Israel is not “bound” by Trump’s agreement and said the country would not yield to international pressure.
Vance acknowledged that Netanyahu himself has not publicly spoken against Trump, but he accused unnamed Cabinet members of showing ingratitude. He pointed out that Israel has very few allies internationally and has relied heavily on large amounts of U.S.-funded weapons for its defense.
Netanyahu’s office did not respond with a comment on Vance’s statements.
In recent days, Trump has voiced frustration with Netanyahu, claimed credit for Israel’s continued existence, and referred to the Israeli leader as “crazy.” Trump kept Israel out of the Iran negotiations entirely and also took issue with Israeli airstrikes carried out in Beirut.
In his first public remarks on the newly signed memorandum of understanding, Netanyahu said Thursday that Israeli forces would remain in a zone of territory they currently occupy in southern Lebanon “as long as Israel’s security needs require it.” Those comments raised concerns that the deal could be undermined, as it calls for all fighting to stop and for Lebanon’s territorial integrity to be respected.
Still, Netanyahu acknowledged the importance of maintaining ties with Washington, saying it was important “to maintain the important relationship with our American friends who fought shoulder to shoulder with us, and we greatly appreciate that.”
