Netanyahu's India rejoinder to JD Vance's 'US Israel's only ally' remark

Israel's closest and powerful ally may be the United States, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says it is not the only one. In a pointed response to US Vice President JD Vance, Netanyahu cited India as one of Israel's strongest international partners.

He commented during an interview with Fox News Sunday Briefing, days after Vance directed Israeli leaders to back President Donald Trump's peace deal with Iran instead of criticising it.

Netanyahu responded with a touch of sarcasm, saying Israel has "some other friends" besides the White House. "We have some other friends, like a small country called India. It has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have tremendous support there," he said.

NETANYAHU REJECTS 'ONLY ALLY' REMARK

However, he admitted that he shares a good working relationship with the Vice President, but that did not mean the two leaders agreed on every issue.

"He and I have a very good relationship, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything he says," Netanyahu said.

He also dismissed claims of any divide with President Trump.

Calling Trump "the greatest friend we ever had in the White House," Netanyahu added, "I don't think there's a rift between us."

Responding directly to Vance's remarks, the Israeli leader pointed out that Israel continues to enjoy broad international backing.

"This Facebook thing, and I'm just flooded by these, by the overwhelming support there, and we have many others. Many leaders call me up and say, hey, look, I've got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know we respect you," he said.

"And can we make some deals, and can you teach us some of the things that your military does? And can we have some of your AI and cyber expertise? You know Israel is the number two country in cyber in the world, and our technology is so good. So the relations are not quite as they appear," he added.

WHAT JD VANCE SAID

The exchange follows unusually blunt remarks from Vice President JD Vance, who questioned Israel's reliance on military force while defending the Trump administration's diplomatic outreach to Iran.

Speaking at a White House press briefing and later in an interview with The New York Times, Vance had asked Israeli leaders to support Washington's peace efforts rather than publicly attack the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

"My message to them would be twofold. No. 1: Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time," Vance said.

He added, "If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world."

Vance also challenged Israel's long-term security strategy.

"What is your exact proposal? You're a country of 9 million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have," he said.

IRAN DEAL REMAINS A POINT OF TENSION

The Vice President had defended the peace agreement, saying it was designed to end months of conflict, reopen Strait of Hormuz and lay the groundwork for broader regional negotiations.

He also reminded Israeli leaders of Washington's long-standing military support.

Vance noted that two-thirds of Israel's defensive weapons had been "built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars."

He added, "The problem for Israel is not Donald J Trump and anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in."

DIFFERENCES OVER LEBANON

Another major point of disagreement has been Israel's continued military operations in Lebanon.

Vance criticised recent strikes on Lebanon, warning that they risked undermining delicate negotiations taking place between Washington and Tehran.

"Israel has the right to defend itself, but fundamentally the Israelis, just like everybody else, have to respect this peace process that is fundamentally good for them and good for the entire region," he said.

He also said Trump had become frustrated whenever diplomatic progress was followed by violence.

"What the president gets very frustrated (with) sometimes is that we seem to be right on the cusp of a major breakthrough in the agreement, and then all of a sudden, there's a major explosion that goes off in a civilian population centre in Beirut, and a lot of people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah lose their lives. That's not acceptable. That's the sort of thing that we've asked for closer coordination so that we ensure it doesn't happen," Vance said.

He stressed that both Hezbollah and Israel must uphold their commitments.

"Both sides have to honour their end of the deal," he added.

NETANYAHU DEFENDS ISRAEL'S POSITION

Meanwhile, Netanyahu defended Israel's continued military presence in parts of southern Lebanon. He claimed Christian villages in Lebanon "have actually asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them against Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them."

He added that members of other communities also wanted to see Lebanon free from Hezbollah's influence.

"I hope we can get more peace deals, and I can tell you, if you want to have peace, you better be able to protect yourself against those who want to annihilate you," Netanyahu said.

"We do that, but in defending ourselves, we're defending our common civilization — the people who chant death to America."