WASHINGTON, June 18 (Reuters) – United States Vice President JD Vance sharply criticized Israelis who oppose the Iran deal this Thursday, saying President Donald Trump is Israel’s only ally, in a sharp rebuke regarding the billions in military aid the country receives from the US.
Vance defended this week’s deal to end the war with Iran, which has been criticized in the US and Israel for failing to contain Iran’s missile program and for not offering a clear path to dismantling its nuclear facilities, while constraining Israel in its war against Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.
Trump has repeatedly criticized Israel, his longtime ally, adding more tension almost four months after the two countries joined together to attack Iran. The war has shaken markets and global oil supplies, as Tehran responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key supply route.
Asked at a press conference at the White House about a report that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was furious with the agreement, Vance said he had not heard such comments from the prime minister, but criticized members of the Israeli cabinet, who, according to him, criticized the agreement and attacked Trump personally.
“My message to them would be twofold. First: Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is showing sympathy for the nation of Israel right now,” Vance told reporters at the White House.
“If I were in the Israeli government cabinet, perhaps I wouldn’t be attacking the only powerful ally I have left in the entire world.”
He said he would also remind these cabinet members that two-thirds of the defensive weapons that protected Israel “were manufactured by American hands and paid for with American taxpayer money.” The United States provides Israel with about $4 billion in military assistance per year. The two countries are negotiating a new aid agreement.
“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and anyone in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and see the reality of the situation the country finds itself in,” Vance said.
Netanyahu’s office and the Israeli Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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TENSIONS BETWEEN USA AND ISRAEL
Senior Israeli officials said anonymously that the terms of the deal were bad for Israel because they did not address concerns about Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs — a view they said was shared by the entire Israeli leadership.
Trump tried to downplay Israel’s concerns during his closing remarks on Wednesday at the G7 summit in France. Netanyahu could take a “softer approach” to fighting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, Trump said.
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In his first comments since the deal, Netanyahu said at a public event that Israel values its relationship with the US but will continue to occupy southern Lebanon to ensure the safety of citizens living near Israel’s northern border.
“This requires maintaining the security strip in southern Lebanon; it requires that we not leave there as long as Israel’s security needs require it,” Netanyahu said.
Israel published this Thursday a map showing an expanded military control zone in southern Lebanon and stated that it would not rule out carrying out attacks beyond it, defying the terms of the pact between the US and Iran.
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VANCE x EXTREME-RIGHT MINISTER
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a key far-right figure in Netanyahu’s coalition government, sharply criticized the US-Iran deal and insisted that Israeli troops must remain in Lebanon.
Vance criticized Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in an interview with the New York Times released this Thursday.
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“What exactly is your proposal? You are a country of 9 million people. You can’t just kill to solve every national security problem you have,” Vance said.
“I find all this fuss in Israel a little strange, because I believe it stems from a lack of trust, and I think the United States has earned the trust of that region of the world,” Vance said.
Ben-Gvir responded to Vance’s statements on
In a social media post following Vance’s remarks on Thursday, Trump said he encouraged everyone in the Middle East to uphold their commitment to allowing negotiations to take place.
“We expect a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah and Israel,” he wrote.
(Reporting by Doina Chiacu in Washington and Alexander Cornwell in Jerusalem; Additional reporting by Pesha Magid and Simon Lewis)
