Vice President JD Vance said Tuesday that President Trump is willing to “part ways” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “when he feels like the interests of the American people are different from the interests of the government of Israel.” He spoke by video to the All-In Summit in Los Angeles.
Vance said Israel remains an important partner on military technology and intelligence, “but also sometimes the United States doesn’t… agree with Israel.” He said Trump is willing to tell Netanyahu they disagree, that “Bibi’s wrong,” or that “Bibi’s right from Israel’s perspective, but the American people need us to go in a different direction.”
He added, “Rooting this relationship, like all relationships, in America’s interest is the way to actually have a rational conversation.” After comparing that to NATO, he said, “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. That’s the only way to have a rational foreign policy.”
He called it “a little ironic” that Democrats attack Trump over Netanyahu, saying Trump is the only president in 40 years who has been willing to publicly disagree with him and part ways with the Israeli government when U.S. interests differ.
