US Vice President JD Vance has declined to follow the example of President Donald Trump—who has openly endorsed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of elections—reports Politico.
On the 19th of October, Vance avoided directly criticizing Netanyahu, but indicated that he does not intend to involve himself in the electoral process of another country ahead of the US midterm elections. He stated that while the President has the opportunity to demonstrate the strongest support seen in US or global political history, he himself is focusing all his attention on the midterm elections and will not be getting involved in Israel’s elections. Vance added that he is neither against Netanyahu nor for him; he is simply not participating in the Israeli elections.
In April, Vance traveled to Hungary to show support for former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of that country’s elections. Orbán lost the election and was forced to leave office after 16 years in power.
Vance’s office did not respond to a request for comment regarding this seemingly contradictory stance concerning foreign elections. In February, Vance also met with representatives of the far-right German party Alternative for Germany—a meeting that received support from Elon Musk. While attending the Munich Security Conference, Vance met with representatives from all four of Germany’s major political parties.
Meanwhile, on the 18th of October,
Trump praised Netanyahu on the social media platform Truth Social for his support of the US—including in the war against Iran
—describing the Israeli leader as an “excellent Prime Minister—a warrior” and an “even better partner for peace in the fight against the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Netanyahu thanked Trump for his immense support and vowed that, together, they would complete the mission.
Public support in the US for Israel—which long enjoyed favor from both Democrats and Republicans—has declined sharply, largely due to the response by Netanyahu’s government to the 7th of October, 2023, attack carried out by the terrorist group Hamas.
Despite the support shown by Trump, Vance has long emphasized that the interests of Israel and the United States do not always align. In June, the US Vice President issued a sharp warning to Israel, noting that it has almost no allies left globally and should think carefully before turning against its remaining friends.