Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against US Vice President JD Vance’s claim that Washington is Israel’s only powerful ally.
He said that that his country has allies other than the United States, such as India.
"We have some other friends, like a small country called India.''
Speaking on the issue in an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said he respected Vance but did not agree with all of his views.
Responding to Vance’s comments, Netanyahu told Fox News, “We have some other friends, like a small country called India. It has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have tremendous support there.”
The Israeli prime minister reaffirmed his strong support for Trump, describing him as Israel's closest ally in Washington.
"Donald Trump is a great, the greatest friend we’ve ever had in the White House, and I stand by that completely," Netanyahu said.
He said he maintains a good relationship with Vance despite their disagreements. “He and I have a very good relationship, but that doesn’t mean I agree with everything he says,” he said, adding that no rift exists between him and President Trump, whom he called “the greatest friend we ever had in the White House.”
Iran deal remains a point of tensionVance had defended the peace agreement with Iran, saying it was designed to end months of conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and lay the groundwork for broader regional negotiations. He reminded Israeli leaders of Washington’s military support, noting that two-thirds of Israel’s defensive weapons had been “built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.”
“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,” Vance said.
Differences over LebanonVance also criticized recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, warning they risked undermining delicate negotiations between Washington and Tehran. “Israel has the right to defend itself, but fundamentally the Israelis, just like everybody else, have to respect this peace process that is fundamentally good for them and good for the entire region,” he said.
He added that Trump grows frustrated when diplomatic progress is followed by violence. “We seem to be right on the cusp of a major breakthrough in the agreement, and then all of a sudden, there’s a major explosion that goes off in a civilian population centre in Beirut, and a lot of people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah lose their lives. That’s not acceptable,” Vance said, adding that “both sides have to honour their end of the deal.”
Netanyahu defended Israel’s continued military presence in southern Lebanon, saying Christian villages in the area “have actually asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them against Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them.” He said, “If you want to have peace, you better be able to protect yourself against those who want to annihilate you.”
