WASHINGTON: US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that the US does not always agree with Israel, stressing that Washington cannot allow its Middle East foreign policy to be “subservient to the state of Israel.”
JD Vance:
We cannot let our Middle Eastern foreign policy be subservient to the state of Israel.
We’re going to work with people when we work with them. We’re going to disagree when we disagree. pic.twitter.com/F4NYodbUjV
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 16, 2026
Speaking on the “All-In Podcast” on YouTube, Vance said that President Donald Trump acknowledged Israel’s importance as a partner in military technology and intelligence sharing, but he said Washington sometimes disagrees with Israel.
The US Vice President said Trump, “more than, frankly, any president in the last 40 years,” has shown “a willingness to actually part ways with Bibi Netanyahu when he feels like the interests of the American people are different than the interests of the government of Israel.”
JD Vance:
Trump has shown a willingness to actually part ways with Netanyahu when he feels like the interests of the American people are different from the interests of the government of Israel. pic.twitter.com/QkMBqi4xp9
— Clash Report (@clashreport) September 16, 2026
JD Vance argued that the US should approach its relationship with Israel, as with any other partnership, by grounding it in American interests in order to maintain a rational foreign policy discussion.
Pointing to Washington’s relationships with NATO members, Vance said the US has “a lot of important relationships, a lot of important partnerships in NATO, but that doesn’t mean we’re gonna completely make our European foreign policy subservient to NATO, in the same way that we cannot let our Middle Eastern foreign policy be subservient to the State of Israel.”
“We’re gonna work with people when we work with them, we’re gonna disagree when we disagree. And we’re gonna pursue America’s interests. That’s the only way to have a rational foreign policy,” he added.
The Trump administration and Israel launched an attack on Iran on February 28, and Iran retaliated with attacks on Gulf countries, which has driven up energy prices and stifled marine traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital chokepoint for the transport of fuel.
In June, Vance warned Israel that it had few friends left and should think carefully before alienating Washington.
The US Vice President had negotiated the June Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) framework with Iran.
On June 18, Vance delivered a harsh message to Israel. “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. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally I have left,” Vance warned.
He was referring to criticism from Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, two far-right ministers, regarding the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran on June 17.
Vance went even further, criticising Israel beyond just its government. “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 smell the reality of the situation that country is in,” Vance emphasised.
