TEL AVIV – U.S. Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized figures within Israel’s government on Thursday, arguing that the country faces growing international isolation and that its leadership has not fully recognized the scale of American military and diplomatic backing.
His remarks widened an increasingly visible divide between Washington and Jerusalem over the temporary agreement the United States and Iran reached to halt their war.
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.” He added, “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.”
Israel and the United States entered the war against Iran together on Feb. 28, working in close coordination throughout the military campaign, which lasted for more than a month.
However, tensions surfaced soon after a preliminary ceasefire was reached on April 8. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu favored pressing ahead with the offensive, while Trump sought to bring the conflict to a close amid strong opposition within the United States and mounting disruption to the global economy.
Although Netanyahu has avoided publicly attacking this week’s ceasefire arrangement, several members of his Cabinet have spoken more bluntly. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who heads a small ultranationalist party, said this week that Israel is not “bound” by Trump’s deal and insisted the country would not yield to outside pressure.
Vance noted that Netanyahu has not publicly criticized Trump, but he accused unnamed members of Netanyahu’s Cabinet of being ungrateful. He said Israel has few friends in the international community and protected itself with large quantities of weapons paid for by the United States.
Netanyahu’s office declined to comment on Vance’s statement.
In recent days, Trump has expressed frustration with Netanyahu, claimed credit for Israel’s existence and has described the Israeli leader as “ crazy.” He sidelined Israel throughout the negotiations, and criticized Israeli airstrikes in Beirut.
In his first comments on the newly signed memorandum of understanding, Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel’s military will stay in a zone of territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon “as long as Israel’s security needs require it.” The comments threatened to undermine the deal, which calls for a halt in all fighting and respect for Lebanon’s territorial integrity.
Netanyahu, however, noted it was important “to maintain the important relationship with our American friends who fought shoulder to shoulder with us, and we greatly appreciate that.”
