JD Vance: US cannot be ‘subservient’ to Israel on Middle East policy

U.S. Vice President JD Vance has declared that the United States cannot allow its Middle East policy to be "subservient to the State of Israel," a sharp comment from a top figure in the Trump administration and a potential 2028 Republican presidential candidate. Speaking at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Vance acknowledged Israel's continued importance as a military and intelligence partner, but emphasized that the U.S. would not unconditionally follow Israel's lead on security matters.

"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. The recent U.S.-Israel military strike on Iran on February 28 has escalated tensions in the region, leading to higher energy costs and disrupting maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane.

In June, Vance had cautioned Israel that it had limited friends and urged caution in alienating the United States. This stance has put Vance at odds with some pro-Israel Republicans and damaged his relationship with Israeli officials, who view his advocacy for a pro-Iranian ceasefire agreement as a breach of trust. Despite these tensions, Vance defended Trump's willingness to stand up to Netanyahu when their interests diverged.

"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 remarked.

Vance also drew a parallel between the U.S.-Israel relationship and Washington's ties with NATO, arguing that U.S. policy should not be "subservient to NATO" either.