Vice President JD Vance said Monday that he will not endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his upcoming reelection campaign, diverging from President Donald Trump’s vocal backing of the longtime Israeli leader.
Speaking in an interview on Mark Halperin’s program “2WAY Tonight,” Vance explained that his political attention remains reserved for domestic contests ahead of the approaching U.S. midterm elections, CNBC and Fox News reported.
“The president has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history,” Vance said during the broadcast. “I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on in the midterms.”
The vice president stressed that his neutral stance should not be viewed as hostility toward Netanyahu. “I’m not anti-endorsing him. I’m not pro-endorsing him,” Vance said, adding, “I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”
A contrast with the Oval Office
Vance’s neutrality stands in sharp contrast to Trump, who on Sunday issued what he described as his “Complete and Total Endorsement” of Netanyahu on Truth Social. Trump praised the prime minister as a “great warrior” and an essential partner in confronting Iran, warning that a different leader in Jerusalem could force the United States to act alone.
Netanyahu quickly welcomed the president’s public backing, expressing gratitude on social media for what he called an “extraordinary endorsement” and stating that “Israel has never had a greater friend in the White House.”
While Vance insisted he stays out of foreign contests, he has occasionally involved himself in international politics in the past. In April, the vice president traveled to Budapest to publicly support then-Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who later lost power after 16 years. Last year, Vance met in Munich with Alice Weidel, who leads Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party. In June, Vance also cautioned that Israel possessed few global allies and needed to be careful not to alienate the United States.
High stakes in Israel and Washington
The Israeli vote scheduled for Oct. 27 will be the nation’s first parliamentary election since Hamas launched attacks in late 2023. Public polling tracked by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz showed a narrow race, with an opposition coalition headed by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party projected to take 52 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, compared with 51 seats for Netanyahu’s Likud-led bloc. No faction is currently forecast to secure an outright majority.
The contest unfolds amid protracted regional tensions. Washington and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February, leading to an Iranian closure of the vital Strait of Hormuz and subsequent U.S. naval escort missions. Crude prices have remained elevated, with Brent futures trading near $107 a barrel on Monday. While Trump’s endorsement emphasized the confrontation with Tehran, Iranian officials condemned the move, accusing Netanyahu of seeking further conflict.
During Monday’s interview, Vance also addressed the domestic weight of Trump’s political capital, pointing to how the former president’s intervention elevated his own 2022 Senate primary race in Ohio. Looking ahead to 2028, Vance told Halperin he has not decided whether to seek the presidency, but said he believes Trump would support his candidacy if he runs, ABC News reported. Whether the White House’s contrasting stances will sway voters in Israel’s closely fought election remains to be seen as balloting nears next week.
