Netanyahu pushes back on Vance over Israel's allies amid US-Israel friction

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected US Vice President JD Vance's suggestion that Washington is Israel's only powerful ally, saying Israel also has support from India and other partners. In remarks broadcast on Fox News, Netanyahu said the relationship with Vance remained good despite their disagreements. He also said there was no rift with President Donald Trump, whom he described as the greatest friend Israel had ever had in the White House.

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The exchange comes amid rising friction between Israel and the United States over Israel's operations in Lebanon and the US-brokered peace agreement with Iran. Vance defended the agreement as a way to end months of conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and create space for wider regional negotiations. He also said that much of Israel's defensive equipment had been built with American support and paid for by US taxpayers.

Netanyahu responded by stressing that Israel's diplomatic backing extends beyond Washington. He singled out India, describing it as a country of 1.4 billion people with what he called tremendous support for Israel. His comments were framed as a rebuttal to Vance's argument that Israeli leaders should recognise the scale of US military and political backing.

The dispute highlights a sensitive moment in the relationship between the two allies. Israel relies heavily on US military assistance and diplomatic cover, but the latest remarks suggest differences over how far Israel should go in Lebanon while negotiations involving Iran are still under way. Vance warned that Israeli strikes risked undermining what he described as a delicate peace process that could benefit the wider region.

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The comments also point to the broader effort by both sides to manage public disagreement without turning it into a formal break. Netanyahu said he and Vance still had a very good relationship, even if they did not agree on everything. That distinction matters because the exchange touches on military support, regional diplomacy and the political message each side wants to send to allies and adversaries.

What remains unclear is whether the disagreement will affect policy coordination on Lebanon or the implementation of the Iran agreement. The immediate focus will be on whether further Israeli military action prompts more criticism from Washington or whether both governments move to contain the dispute. For now, the episode underlines the tension between public reassurance and substantive policy differences in the alliance.

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