Vance Declines to Endorse Netanyahu, Diverging From Trump
The senator stated his focus remains on U.S. midterm candidates, contrasting with former President Trump's full endorsement of the Israeli leader.
Sen. J.D. Vance has declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election, diverging from former President Donald Trump's strong support for the Israeli leader. When asked in an interview if he would endorse Netanyahu, Vance stated, “I endorse American candidates and that’s where I'm focused on, is the midterms, so I'm not getting involved in the Israeli elections.” He clarified that he was neither for nor against endorsing Netanyahu.
Trump, however, issued a "complete and total" endorsement of Netanyahu, praising him as a "great warrior" and asserting that U.S. security interests would be jeopardized if Israel had a different leader. Trump suggested that any leader other than Netanyahu would necessitate the U.S. taking on security burdens, which he is "not inclined to do."
The Israeli election is being viewed by many as a referendum on Netanyahu, who has faced criticism for his government's handling of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israel, the subsequent humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and reported settler violence in the West Bank.
Vance's stance contrasts with his previous engagement in international politics. In April, he traveled to Hungary to support then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of parliamentary elections. Vance told reporters in Budapest that he wanted to "help as much as I possibly can, the Prime Minister, as he faces this election season" and later spoke at a rally for Orbán.
In February 2025, Vance also met with Alice Weidel, co-leader of Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, prior to a German election. During that trip, Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference, expressing concerns about the state of free speech in Europe and criticizing Germany's political parties' agreement not to work with the AfD, which he called a "firewall" approach.
Trump's endorsement of Netanyahu follows a period of a sometimes-contentious relationship between the two leaders. In June, Trump expressed dissatisfaction with how Israel had handled the situation with Lebanon and Hezbollah, suggesting it cast a negative light on a U.S.-Iran peace agreement, which later collapsed. Trump also reportedly called Netanyahu "f-cking crazy" during a phone call after an Israeli strike on a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut.