US 'cannot let Middle East foreign policy be subservient to Israel’, says VP Vance
Vice president says relationship with Israel 'must be rooted in American interests'
U.S. Vice President JD Vance once again has caused confusion and consternation among Jewish voters, as well as in Israel, with comments that can be understood as fueling anti-Israeli conspiracies.
Washington “cannot let our Middle Eastern foreign policy be subservient to the State of Israel,” Vance said on Tuesday evening, while speaking at a conference organized by the All-In Podcast, after host Jason Calacanis asked about concerns among some Americans that Israel has too much influence on America’s Middle East policy.
“Many people in the Republican Party, MAGA, are now moving to a new party, America First, America Only,” Calacanis stated.
“There's a rise in anti-Semitism, and there's a persistent belief amongst a lot of the people on the right that maybe our foreign policy is too influenced by the state of Israel or Bibi Netanyahu. Can you take us into the relationship right now where it stands and the administration's position on collaborating with Israel on a lot of these military activities?”
Vance responded by first affirming that Israel “has been an important partner when it comes to military technology, when it comes to intelligence sharing.”
The vice president added that "sometimes the United States doesn't always agree with Israel.”
Vance stated that Trump has been more willing to publicly disagree with Israel than previous administrations.
“I think that more than, frankly, any president in the last 40 years, he has shown a willingness to actually part ways with Bibi Netanyahu when he feels like the interests of the American people are different from the interests of the government of Israel,” Vance said, using the common nickname for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
He then repeated that argument, saying, "I find it a little ironic, Jason, that you have Democrats criticizing Donald Trump for his relationship with Bibi when Donald Trump is the one president of the last 40 years who's been willing to say, ‘You know what? Yeah, Bibi's a good partner, but also Bibi and I have a different opinion on this, or Bibi's wrong about this, or maybe Bibi's right about this from the perspective of Israel, but the American people need us to go in a different direction.”
Vance said that America’s relationship with Israel, “like all relationships,” has to be rooted in American interests.
“Because when you're talking about whether a given policy is in America's interest and you keep yourself laser focused on that, I think that's how you make sure that the American people know that you're fighting for them,” he stated.
He also argued that “rooting this relationship, like all relationships, in America’s interest is the way to actually have a rational conversation here.”
Vance compared the relationship with Israel to the relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), saying the U.S. has “a lot of important relationships, a lot of important partnerships in NATO, but that doesn't mean that we're going to completely make our European foreign policy subservient to NATO, in the same way that we cannot let our Middle Eastern foreign policy be subservient to the state of Israel.”
“We're going to work with people when we work with them. We're going to disagree when we disagree, and we're going to pursue America’s interests,” Vance stated. “That’s the only way to have a rational foreign policy.”
Vance’s statements drew some criticism from those who felt the vice president has been overly critical of Israel during his time in office.
Heather Johnston, founder and executive director of the U.S. Israel Education Association, criticized Vance’s phrasing.
“U.S. foreign policy has never been subservient to Israel’s foreign policy,” Johnston wrote on 𝕏. “He knows that. Why would he need to say that unless he’s trying to politically gain some points with Israel haters?”
JD Vance just said “we cannot let our Middle Eastern foreign policy be subservient to the state of Israel.”
— Heather Johnston (@HeatherJ_Israel) September 16, 2026
Our U.S. foreign policy has never been subservient to Israel’s foreign policy. He knows that. Why would he need to say that unless he’s trying to politically gain some… pic.twitter.com/JT5jJClCU0
“We are the superpower of the world,” Johnston continued. “A presidential candidate of the USA should have the experience and the confidence to stand with one of our greatest allies in the world without hesitation. Unafraid.”
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