Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back against comments by US Vice President JD Vance that described the United States as Israel’s “only powerful ally,” arguing that Israel continues to enjoy strong support from other countries, particularly India.
Speaking in an interview with Fox News on Sunday, Netanyahu praised US President Donald Trump as Israel’s closest friend in the White House but said he did not fully agree with Vance’s assessment.
“First of all, I respect JD Vance. We have a very good relationship, but it doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that he says,” Netanyahu said. “Donald Trump is the greatest friend we have ever had in the White House, and I stand by that completely.”
Highlighting Israel’s international support, Netanyahu specifically pointed to India.
“We have some other friends, like India. It has 1.4 billion people, and we receive tremendous support there. Whenever I post on Facebook, I’m flooded with messages of overwhelming support from India,” he said.
Netanyahu also maintained that while some governments may publicly distance themselves from Israel due to domestic political pressures, many continue to support the country behind the scenes.
His remarks were a response to comments Vance made in June while defending Trump’s policy on Iran amid criticism from some members of the Israeli government. At the time, Vance argued that Trump was the only world leader openly standing with Israel and cautioned Israeli ministers against publicly criticising Washington.
“If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance had said.
The exchange comes ahead of Netanyahu’s expected visit to Washington, where he is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House. The meeting follows reports of differences between the two leaders over Iran and Israel’s military operations in Lebanon, although both governments continue to emphasise the strength of their strategic partnership.
