JD Vance declines to endorse Israeli PM Netanyahu for reelection
Por Alex Gangitano — POLITICO – TOP Stories
Vice President JD Vance declined to follow President Donald Trump and endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s fiercely contested upcoming bid for reelection.
The vice president, in an interview Monday with Mark Halperin on 2WAY Tonight, didn’t specifically criticize Netanyahu but said he wouldn’t get involved in a foreign election ahead of the U.S. midterms.
“The president has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history. I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on in the midterms. So I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections,” Vance said.
He added, “I’m not anti-endorsing him. I’m not pro-endorsing him. I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”
In April, Vance campaigned in Budapest alongside Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban before the far-right leader was swept from office after 16 consecutive years in power.
The vice president’s office didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the apparent contradiction in his statement about a non-U.S. election.
Vance also in February met with the far-right Alternative for Germany, which was being boosted at the time by Elon Musk. While Vance was in Munich for a security conference, he had met with the leaders of all four major German political parties.
Trump on Truth Social on Sunday applauded Netanyahu for his continued support of the U.S., including in the war against Iran, as he praised the prime minister for being “a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “tremendous support” and vowed that “together we will complete the mission!”
Public support for Israel, which has long enjoyed deep support among both Republicans and Democrats, has sharply declined in the U.S. in large part due to the Netyanyahu-led government’s response to the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on the country by Hamas.
Despite Trump’s support for Israel, Vance has argued for years that Israel’s interests and America’s do not always align. Vance in June issued a stark warning to Israel, saying it has almost no friends left in the world, and that it should think hard before turning on the one it has.
Fonte: POLITICO – TOP Stories
