Pence Criticizes Vance Over Stance on Israel, Warns of Rising Antisemitism

Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has publicly disagreed with current Vice President J.D. Vance regarding U.S. policy toward Israel and the reasons behind Republican electoral losses. In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Pence expressed significant concern over statements emanating from Vance's office about the U.S.-Israel relationship, emphasizing that the alliance remains a cornerstone of American foreign policy.

Pence stated, "I have very serious concerns about what I am hearing from the Vice President's office regarding Israel," and asserted, "If the world knows nothing else, it should know that the United States stands with Israel. Israel is our most precious ally. It is the only democracy in the Arab world."

Furthermore, Pence warned that opposition to U.S. aid and support for Israel is sometimes used to mask antisemitic sentiments on both the political left and right. "I am very troubled by how criticism of Israel, from the left and the right, too often devolves into antisemitism and antisemitic rhetoric," Pence said. He added, "There is no place in America for antisemitism, not on the left, not on the right. And for those who express so much concern about American support for Israel, I sometimes get the impression that they are simply using it as an excuse that barely conceals their antisemitism."

Pence's remarks were a direct response to Vance's assertion that voter dissatisfaction with the Trump administration's Israel policy contributed to Republican defeats in the midterm elections. Vance had initially cited the war in Iran as the primary reason for the losses, but later pointed to a poll suggesting voters wanted an end to the war, a focus on inflation, and a re-evaluation of relations with Israel.

Pence countered Vance's analysis, arguing that the public's frustration stemmed not from initiating the conflict with Iran, but from the administration's failure to achieve its military objectives and its subsequent pursuit of diplomatic efforts. "I disagree with the Vice President on the reasons for the midterm results," Pence told Fox News. "There is no doubt that the war in Iran became a source of frustration for millions of Americans, but it did not happen because President Trump started a war or confronted Iran. It happened because we stopped before we completed the mission. When Americans saw the appeasement policy the administration adopted, with one round of negotiations after another, I think they became frustrated by the lack of progress, and frustrated by the gas prices at the pump."

Pence concluded that the reasons for the midterm election outcomes were complex, involving a combination of issues beyond just gas prices or the Iran conflict, and respectfully disagreed with Vance's assessment.