Vance says US does not follow Israel’s lead in Middle East policy
US Vice President JD Vance has said Washington does not make its foreign policy toward the Middle East subordinate to Israel and does not take the same position as the country on all regional issues.
Speaking on a podcast on Tuesday, he said US President Donald Trump accepts Israel’s position as Washington’s partner in military technology and intelligence sharing, but disagrees with it on some issues.
Vance also claimed Trump, more than other US presidents over the past four decades, has shown that he is prepared to differ with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if the interests of the American people diverge from those of Israel.
To explain this position, the US vice president pointed to Washington’s relations with NATO members, saying that just as US policy in Europe is not entirely subordinate to NATO, it should not be subordinate to Israel in the Middle East either.
He added that the US cooperates with others where interests align, and where they differ, it states its opposing position and pursues its own interests.
The remarks come as Israel is considered one of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East, and ties between the two countries have in recent years been built on extensive military, intelligence and political cooperation.
