Vance Chides Israeli Leaders Not Backing Iran Agreement, Says They Have No Alternative To Offer

Vice President JD Vance is criticizing some leading figures in Israel’s government for not getting on board more quickly with the American memorandum of understanding with Iran, stating that without another deal on the table, it is time to end the conflict. At a press conference Thursday at the White House, the vice president turned up the heat on America’s partner in the Iranian offensive. He warned against letting objections to the deal get personal, and admonished members of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s cabinet, saying Mr. Trump is the “only” head of state in the world that is currently “sympathetic” to the Jewish nation. “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. Mr. Vance separately praised Mr. Netanyahu for not going down the “path” of publicly bashing the deal, unlike some others in the Knesset. The vice president went on to say that Israeli critics of the deal ought to remember the support they have received from the Trump administration. “Over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars,” Mr. Vance said sternly. “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.”Speaking in an interview with conservative writer Ross Douthat of the New York Times, Mr. Vance specifically called out Israel’s minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, and national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who are both critical of the deal. Rejecting demands for Israel to hold its powder in Lebanon, where Hezbollah maintains a stronghold, Mr. Ben-Gvir said Israel is“not bound by agreements that put an end to its ability to defend itself.”“My response to them would be: ‘What is your exact proposal?’” Mr. Vance asked in response. “You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.” He later acknowledged during the press conference that the United States cannot prevent Israel from defending itself. President Trump “does not withdraw from Israel, no one could, withdraw from another country the right of self-defense. 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.”When Mr. Vance was tapped by Mr. Trump to be his running mate in 2024, it was seen as a major win for foreign policy realists and American isolationists. As a senator, he became one of the chief critics of American support for Ukraine, arguing that being involved in such conflicts abroad would be a disservice to Americans who are hurting at home. Now, as vice president, Mr. Vance is trying to lead a negotiating team to bring an end to hostilities with Iran and ensure that the Islamic Republic never obtains a nuclear weapon. Over the course of the next 60 days, the United States and Iran are set to negotiate the timeline for removal of enriched uranium, an inspections regime, and conditions for the redevelopment of its defensive ballistic weapons program, a concern raised by critics who question allowing Iran to restart its weapons program. The sanctions relief and a potential $300 billion fund to help Iran rebuild are also top the list of major concerns.Since the memorandum of understanding was signed electronically on Sunday, Mr. Vance has been on a whirlwind press tour trying to sell the deal to the American people. Just this week, he appeared on Fox News’s late night comedy show hosted by Greg Gutfeld, and went on “The View” and conservative commentator Megyn Kelly’s podcast, both of which have offered withering criticism of the administration. Joking during his remarks to reporters, Mr. Vance rejected claims that he is inexperienced with “hostile high-stakes negotiations.” “I would point those progressive critics to the fact that just two days ago I spent over an hour on ‘The View,’” he said. “Joy Behar is way tougher than the Iranians and she and I are best friends now.”The cessation of live military actions and the requirement that Israel cease operations in Lebanon are leading some to push back on Mr. Vance. The criticism, however, isn’t coming just from Israel. Among Republicans on Capitol Hill, Senator Bill Cassidy called it one of the worst foreign policy blunders in decades. Senator Ted Cruz attacked the idea of giving Iran any kind of sanctions relief or economic support. On Thursday, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Roger Wicker, said in a statement that the agreement “negotiates away the victories” of the last three-and-a-half months. “President Trump has pursued peace through strength. I hope the intermediaries working on this deal are not undermining that objective,” Mr. Wicker said. The American pro-Israel lobbying group, AIPAC, which supported the administration’s war actions, also issued a lengthy statement Thursday warning that the agreement will hamper Israel’s ability to combat Hezbollah in Lebanon, allow Iran to continue funding terrorist proxy groups, and does nothing to stop Iran from rebuilding its ballistic missile and drone capabilities. “Congress must receive complete information on the deal and play a critical role in ensuring a final deal meets President Trump’s stated objectives for the war,” the group said.

Vance Chides Israeli Leaders Not Backing Iran Agreement, Says They Have No Alternative To Offer

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