JD Vance declines to endorse Netanyahu ahead of Israeli elections

United States Vice President JD Vance has declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of elections in Israel this month. In comments during an interview on Monday, Vance said he would stay out of Israeli politics and focus instead on American candidates and the US midterm elections. His remarks came one day after Donald Trump publicly backed Netanyahu.

Vance said he was "not anti-endorsing" Netanyahu, but added: "I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections." He said his political focus was on the midterms in the United States, where he said he was concentrating on domestic campaigning. The comments were made in an interview with journalist Mark Halperin and were reported on Tuesday. The statement is notable because it follows a clear endorsement from Trump, who has maintained a close relationship with Netanyahu and his right-wing government.

Trump's support has been a recurring feature of US-Israel relations during his political career, and his latest backing comes as Netanyahu faces another election campaign. Vance's refusal to join that endorsement suggests a more cautious approach from the vice president on foreign election commentary. The remarks also come against a broader backdrop of debate inside the Republican Party over Washington's support for Israel.

Vance has previously said US support for Israel should continue, but he has also faced scrutiny from some Jewish Republicans over his commitment to the alliance. In June, he told Israel that it could not "just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have," after opposition to an Iran ceasefire plan. Trump's relationship with Netanyahu has included major policy moves during his first term, including relocating the US embassy to West Jerusalem, recognising Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, withdrawing from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and helping drive normalisation agreements with Arab states.

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Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has continued to sell weapons to Israel, entered a conflict with Iran and intensified pressure on the International Criminal Court. Those developments have kept US policy toward Israel at the centre of regional and domestic political debate. It remains unclear whether Trump's endorsement will materially help Netanyahu's Likud party in the election.

Vance's comments do not indicate a break with US support for Israel, but they do show a reluctance to be drawn into another country's campaign. What happens next will depend on the election result and whether other senior US figures choose to comment further on the race.

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