Vice President JD Vance declined Monday to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for reelection, drawing a distinct line just a day after President Donald Trump issued a strong endorsement for the embattled Israeli leader.
Speaking during an interview with journalist Mark Halperin, Vance acknowledged the weight of the administration’s top office while explaining his own stance. The president has the most influential endorsement in American or international political history, Vance noted during the discussion.
Instead of weighing in on foreign contests, Vance stated that his energy remains centered on domestic politics. I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on the midterms, Vance said while traveling to campaign for Republican Senate nominee Michael Whatley of North Carolina. So, I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.
While Vance is largely steering clear of the Israeli vote, his past political involvement includes campaigning for a foreign leader when he traveled to support then-Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban last spring prior to that country’s parliamentary election.
Vance’s decision to defer to Trump on Netanyahu arrives at a delicate juncture for Jewish Americans and the broader U.S. alliance with Israel, as concerns over rising antisemitism ripple across the political spectrum ahead of the midterm elections. Republican strategists have sought to frame Democrats, including Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, as hostile toward Israel and Jewish communities, even as the GOP navigates its own internal party schisms.
At the same time, Vance has encountered skepticism from Jewish Republicans regarding his commitment to Jewish Americans and bilateral ties. Last month, he addressed the Republican Jewish Coalition in a private meeting in Las Vegas, a premier GOP group dedicated to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and combating antisemitism. Attendees reported that Vance left a positive impression, though he stopped short of disavowing conservative podcast host Tucker Carlson.
Vance has previously faced persistent questions concerning his association with Carlson, a former television host who drew heavy criticism last year for hosting white nationalist Nick Fuentes on his program.
Tensions have also surfaced regarding Vance’s past criticisms of Israel’s leadership. In June, he openly criticized members of the Israeli government for opposing Trump’s diplomatic initiatives aimed at resolving the conflict with Iran. Later in July, during an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Vance asserted that elements within the Israeli government had actively attempted to manipulate American sentiment to derail negotiations.
There are some people within their system that we know beyond a shadow of a doubt are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely, Vance said during the podcast appearance.
