Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has tried in recent days to calm tensions with the White House and make clear that social media attacks by cabinet ministers on President Donald Trump’s decisions do not reflect his own position, according to a Thursday report on Kan News. The effort comes after the criticism of Trump grew more personal and began to echo arguments already heard inside the United States.
The sharpest response came from U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who warned that Israel could end up isolated if the current line continues. In a White House briefing on Thursday, Vance attacked cabinet ministers and said, “If I were a minister in Israel, I would not attack the only ally I have in the world.”
Vance said that since the outbreak of the “Roar of the Lion” war, two thirds of the weapons that defended Israel were “developed in the United States and funded by the American taxpayer.” He added, “Anyone who thinks Israel’s problem is Donald Trump needs to wake up.” He also said, “We speak with Bibi and members of the Israeli government almost every day, and Trump was very clear that he is not preventing Israel from its right to self-defense.”
At the same time, Vance stressed that “the Israelis, like all sides, must respect this peace process.” The remarks came amid a wider dispute over cabinet criticism of Trump and Israeli policy toward the U.S. administration.