Jerusalem: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described India as one of Israel’s strongest international partners, saying the country enjoys broad global support despite comments by US Vice President JD Vance suggesting that the United States remained Israel’s only powerful ally.
Netanyahu made the remarks during an interview with Fox News Sunday Briefing, days after Vance urged Israeli leaders to support US President Donald Trump’s diplomatic efforts with Iran instead of publicly criticising the proposed peace agreement.
Netanyahu highlights India’s support
Responding to Vance’s remarks, Netanyahu said Israel has several important international partners besides the United States.
“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.
While acknowledging his good working relationship with Vance, Netanyahu stressed that they do not agree on every issue.
“He and I have a very good relationship, but that doesn’t mean I agree with everything he says,” he added.
Rejects claims of rift with Trump
Netanyahu dismissed suggestions of tensions between himself and President Donald Trump.
Calling Trump “the greatest friend we ever had in the White House,” the Israeli Prime Minister said he did not believe there was any rift between the two leaders.
He also claimed Israel continued to receive messages of support from leaders around the world, despite public criticism in some countries.
According to Netanyahu, several countries have shown interest in strengthening cooperation with Israel in areas such as defence, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.
Vance defends US-Iran diplomacy
The exchange follows comments by Vice President JD Vance, who defended the Trump administration’s diplomatic outreach to Iran and urged Israel to support Washington’s peace efforts.
Vance said President Trump remained Israel’s strongest ally and cautioned Israeli leaders against publicly criticising the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.
“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,” he said.
He also questioned Israel’s long-term security strategy, arguing that military action alone could not resolve every national security challenge.
Differences over Lebanon operations
Vance also expressed concern over Israel’s continued military operations in Lebanon, warning that further escalation could undermine ongoing diplomatic efforts in the region.
He said the Trump administration had asked Israel to coordinate closely with Washington to avoid actions that could jeopardise negotiations.
According to Vance, both Israel and Hezbollah must honour their commitments under existing agreements to preserve regional stability.
Netanyahu defends security policy
Netanyahu defended Israel’s military presence in parts of southern Lebanon, saying it was necessary to protect Israeli security interests.
He also claimed that some Christian communities in southern Lebanon had sought closer ties with Israel due to concerns about Hezbollah.
The Israeli Prime Minister reiterated that Israel’s military operations were aimed at protecting the country against threats from militant groups.
Conclusion
The exchange between Netanyahu and Vance highlights differences over the Trump administration’s diplomatic engagement with Iran and Israel’s regional security strategy. While both leaders reaffirmed the importance of the US-Israel partnership, Netanyahu emphasised that Israel also enjoys strong support from countries such as India and several other international partners.