US Vice President J.D. Vance has issued a stern warning to the Israeli government to accept the Iran deal (Memorandum of Understanding) signed by US President Donald Trump.
At the same time, J.D. Vance reminded that in recent years, Israel has been isolated from most countries in the world and now only the United States remains as its only strong ally.
“If I were a member of the Israeli cabinet, I would at least not attack the only strong ally I have left in the entire world,” Vance said at the end of a nearly hour-long briefing with reporters at the White House.
Those in Israel who think their biggest problem is the US president should wake up and understand the reality of the situation.
J.D. Vance, US Vice President
Vance’s comments are the most public evidence yet of how sour the Trump administration’s relationship with the Israeli leadership has become since the United States and Israel jointly launched a war against Iran nearly four months ago.
Vance spent much of his briefing defending the deal with Iran, to which Israel was not directly a party. However, under the terms of the deal, Israel must stop attacking Lebanon.
In exchange for the deal, the United States will lift sanctions on Iran’s crude oil exports and revive the country’s economy. In return, Iran has agreed to reopen the closed Strait of Hormuz and promised not to develop nuclear weapons.
Israeli officials have expressed “deep concern” about the deal, with an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying Israel is in no way obligated to abide by the Lebanon-related part of the memorandum of understanding.
The signing of the memorandum of understanding has begun a 60-day negotiation process that could ultimately lead to the creation of a $300 billion rehabilitation fund for Iran’s economic development.
Israeli officials have expressed “deep concerns” about the deal, according to the US news website Axios. An adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel is in no way obligated to abide by the Lebanon-related part of the memorandum of understanding.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented publicly on the deal since the signing of the memorandum of understanding. However, his loyal and like-minded Israeli media outlets have been sharply critical of Donald Trump and his team, accusing Trump’s representatives Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner of “selling out” Israel in exchange for financial benefits.
In response to these attacks, J.D. Vance reminded that three-quarters of Israel’s defense weapons are made and paid for by the United States. Therefore, Israel’s problem is “not Donald Trump.”
Vance added, “Those in Israel who think the president of the United States is their biggest problem need to wake up and understand the reality of the situation.”Read more
Netanyahu wants to destroy two peace agreements with one blow
Vance’s comments are the most public evidence yet of how sour the Trump administration’s relationship with the Israeli leadership has become since the United States and Israel jointly launched a war against Iran nearly four months ago.
Vance said the Trump administration is talking to the Israeli government and Gulf states “almost daily,” but he has not heard any such concerns in his own conversations with top Israeli officials.
At a time when the United States was on the verge of a major breakthrough in the Iran deal negotiations, Vance sharply criticized Israel’s recent decision to carry out deadly attacks in Beirut, Lebanon. He said that Hezbollah had no connection to many of the people killed in the attack, even though Israel claimed it was targeting the armed group’s hideout.
“Our main message to the Israelis is, as we’ve been saying to everyone else, that we want this peace process to be good for you. We don’t want Hezbollah to attack Israel. But to make sure that happens, we have to create a regional framework that can stop Iranian support for Hezbollah while also making sure that all parties respect Lebanon’s territorial sovereignty,” Vance said.
