Vance Breaks With Trump By Declining to Endorse Netanyahu
The vice president says his priority is the U.S. midterms, withholding support for Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 vote despite previously campaigning for Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.
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U.S. Vice President JD Vance on Monday declined to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of Israel’s Oct. 27 election, breaking with President Donald Trump’s decision to back the Israeli prime minister.
Asked about Trump’s endorsement in an interview with journalist Mark Halperin, Vance said his attention was on Republican candidates contesting the U.S. midterms.
“I’m not anti-endorsing him, I’m not pro-endorsing him, I’m not getting involved in Israeli politics,” he said.
Trump had endorsed Netanyahu in a Truth Social post on Sunday, praising his leadership and their partnership against Iran.
Israel’s vote will be its first national election since the Hamas attack of Oct. 7, 2023, putting Netanyahu’s handling of the aftermath before voters.
A Different Approach Abroad
Vance’s refusal to take a position contrasts with his intervention in Hungary’s election earlier this year.
He traveled to Budapest in April to support then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s re-election campaign, arriving five days before the vote.
During that visit, Vance said he had come “to help him in this campaign cycle.”
He also met Alice Weidel, leader of Germany’s Alternative for Germany party, at last year’s Munich Security Conference.
His decision to withhold an endorsement from Netanyahu therefore marks a departure from his willingness to support political figures overseas.
Differences Over Israel
The endorsement question also follows differences between Vance and Trump in their approach to relations with Israel.
Vance has accused elements of the Israeli government of seeking to influence American public opinion over the Iran war and undercut negotiations to end it.
He has also argued that Israel should carry no greater weight than other U.S. allies, drawing criticism from Republicans who regard the relationship as deserving special status.
Vance is traveling widely to campaign for Republicans before the midterms.
He has generally avoided issuing endorsements independently of Trump, although he has made exceptions, including supporting his half-brother, Cory Bowman, in Cincinnati’s mayoral contest.
Ahmet Koçak
Ahmet Koçak is a news editor at Clash Report based in Istanbul. He previously served as Deputy Managing Editor at Türkiye Today, helping launch the digital news platform in 2023, and spent three years as Senior Editor at Daily Sabah. His work focuses on breaking news, geopolitics, international affairs, and digital journalism.
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