Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday praised India’s support for Israel while disagreeing with JD Vance’s recent remarks on the country’s international alliances. He said India is one of Israel’s strongest supporters, pushing back against recent remarks by US Vice President JD Vance, who suggested that Israel’s only powerful ally was the United States.
Speaking during an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu highlighted India’s backing for Israel and said the country enjoys widespread support from its 1.4 billion people. Responding to JD Vance’s comments, Netanyahu said Israel has friends beyond the United States and specifically pointed to India. “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 also praised US President Donald Trump, calling him the greatest friend Israel has had in the White House, while making it clear that he does not necessarily agree with every statement made by Vice President Vance. “I respect JD Vance, but it doesn’t mean I agree with everything that he says,” Netanyahu said.
Netanyahu’s comments came weeks after JD Vance, during a White House press briefing, cautioned Israel against alienating what he described as its only powerful ally.
While defending a memorandum signed between the United States and Iran aimed at advancing efforts to end the conflict, Vance said that if he were part of the Israeli government, he would avoid taking actions against the country’s “only powerful ally.”
The Israeli Prime Minister also claimed that he receives overwhelming support from India on Facebook and maintained that Israel has several international partners despite criticism on social media.
Without naming any country, Netanyahu said anti-Israel and anti-Semitic content may be popular online in some places, but leaders from those countries continue to engage with Israel, sign agreements and seek cooperation in areas including defence.
According to Netanyahu, Israel’s diplomatic relationships are stronger than they may appear on social media.
During the interview, Netanyahu also addressed the situation in Lebanon. He claimed that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had requested to be annexed by Israel for protection against Hezbollah militants.
His remarks come as discussions continue over the implementation of provisions in the US-Iran memorandum, including calls for Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon.