By Palestine Chronicle Staff
US Vice President JD Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid growing debate over US and Israeli regional policy. (Photo Illustration: Palestine Chronicle)
US Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized Israeli opponents of the Iran deal, defending Trump and urging support.
Key Developments
- Vance accused Israeli officials of overreacting to the Iran agreement and personally attacking Trump.
- He said Trump is “the only head of state” currently sympathetic to Israel and highlighted billions of dollars in US military assistance.
- The remarks came amid growing tensions over the agreement, which includes a ceasefire framework covering Lebanon.
Vance Targets Israeli Critics
Speaking at the White House on Thursday, Vance responded to reports that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was unhappy with the US-Iran agreement.
While saying he had not personally heard such comments from Netanyahu, Vance directly criticized members of the Israeli cabinet who have publicly attacked the deal and criticized Trump.
“My message to them would be twofold. No. 1: 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,” Vance said.
“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,” he added.
US Aid and Alliance
Vance also highlighted the extent of American military support for Israel, noting that much of Israel’s defensive capability relies on US assistance.
He said that two-thirds of the defensive systems protecting Israel had been “built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.”
The United States currently provides Israel with approximately $4 billion annually in military assistance, while discussions continue regarding a future aid package.
“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump,” Vance said. “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.”
Dispute over Lebanon and the Iran Deal
The remarks came as criticism of the agreement intensified among Israeli officials, who argue that it does not adequately address Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
The agreement also includes provisions aimed at ending military operations across the region, including Lebanon, a point that has generated particular opposition among Israeli hardliners.
Earlier this week, Trump called on Israeli leaders to adopt a “softer touch” in Lebanon and reduce actions that could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts.
Vance echoed those concerns in a separate interview with The New York Times, arguing that attacks on civilian areas in Lebanon have repeatedly jeopardized negotiations.
“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.
Clash with Ben-Gvir and Smotrich
Vance reserved some of his strongest criticism for Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, both of whom have strongly opposed the agreement.
Questioning their approach, Vance asked: “What is your exact proposal? You’re a country of 9 million people. You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.”
He also described what he called a “weird panic” among Israeli officials and suggested it reflected mistrust toward Washington.
“I find this whole freakout in Israel a little bit odd because I think that it comes from a place of mistrust, and I think that America has earned the trust of that region of the world,” he said.
Ben-Gvir later responded on X, claiming that Iran should be confronted in the same way the United States confronted Nazi Germany during World War II.
Netanyahu Signals Continued Presence in Lebanon
Meanwhile, Netanyahu signaled that Israel does not intend to fully align with the ceasefire framework envisioned in the agreement.
Speaking publicly after the deal was announced, he said Israeli forces would continue occupying parts of southern Lebanon as long as Israel considered it necessary for security purposes.
Israel also published a map showing an expanded military control zone in southern Lebanon and indicated it would not rule out carrying out military operations beyond those areas.
Despite those statements, Trump reiterated on social media that Washington expects all parties to respect the agreement.
“We expect a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel,” the US president wrote.
(PC, Reuters, The New York Times, Al Mayadeen)
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