Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is pushing back after Vice President Vance cautioned Israeli officials against publicly criticizing the Trump administration’s peace agreement with Iran, arguing that Israel has broad international support despite disagreements with its closest ally.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Sunday Briefing” with anchor Jacqui Heinrich, Netanyahu responded to remarks Vance made last month suggesting Israeli leaders should be careful about attacking the United States, which he described as Israel’s only powerful ally.
“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 said.
Asked about the comment, Netanyahu acknowledged his relationship with the vice president but stressed that Israel enjoys strong ties with countries around the globe.
“Many leaders, you know, call me up and say, ‘Hey look, I’ve got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know, we respect you and can we make some deals? And can you teach us some of the things that your military does? And can we have some of your AI and cyber expertise?’” Netanyahu said.
The Israeli leader pointed to his country’s technological capabilities, saying Israel ranks second in the world in cyber technology and arguing that its international relationships are stronger than they may appear publicly.
“You know, Israel is the No. 2 country in cyber in the world, and our technology is –– it’s so good. So, the relations are not quite as they appear, and we have many, many friends,” he said.
While disagreeing with Vance’s assessment, Netanyahu emphasized that the two maintain a positive working relationship.
“I respect the vice president. We have a very good relationship, but it doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that he says,” Netanyahu said.
The prime minister also reaffirmed his support for President Donald Trump, describing him as Israel’s strongest ally in the White House.
“Donald Trump is a great friend, the greatest friend we’ve ever had in the White House, and I stand by that completely,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu added that Israel has support from other nations as well, mentioning “the small country of India” before joking about the backing he receives online.
“I’m just flooded by the overwhelming support there,” he said. “And we have many others.”
Vance’s original comments came during a White House briefing after he was asked about an Axios report claiming Netanyahu was “fuming” over the memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Iran.
The vice president said the report did not match the conversations he had personally held with Netanyahu but acknowledged that the Israeli leader could have been expressing different views privately.
“Maybe he’s saying something to somebody else that he’s not saying to me,” Vance said.
Tensions between Trump and Netanyahu became public following the signing of the MOU. Trump criticized the Israeli prime minister for continuing strikes on Lebanon, arguing they threatened the agreement with Iran. Netanyahu responded by saying Israel would continue to prioritize its own security and acknowledged that he and Trump do not always see “eye to eye.”
Iran has maintained that a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is a central element of the agreement.
Last month, Netanyahu said Israel’s military has “no restrictions” when targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon, adding further pressure to the already fragile ceasefire. According to the article, attacks carried out by the Israel Defense Forces on Beirut’s southern suburbs have killed dozens of people, including civilians.
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