Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back against US Vice President J.D. Vance's remarks that the US is Israel's "only powerful ally" by highlighting 'tremendous' support from India.
JERUSALEM — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed back against US Vice President J.D. Vance's remarks that the US is Israel's "only powerful ally" by highlighting 'tremendous' support from India.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu described India as a "friend" of Israel and pointed out the immense support he receives from Indians on social media platforms. He also described US President Donald Trump as the "greatest friend" that Israel has in the White House.
When asked about J.D. Vance's remarks, Netanyahu responded, "We have a very good relationship, but it doesn't mean that I agree with everything that he says, and I have to point out this. Donald Trump is a great, the greatest friend we've ever had in the White House, and I stand by that completely. Secondly, we have some other friends like the small country called India. It has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have a tremendous support there. This Facebook thing, I am just flooded by the overwhelming support there, and we have many others."
Without naming anyone, Benjamin Netanyahu said that it is "fashionable" in many nations to have media and social media "inundated with anti-Israel, anti-semitic material." However, he stated that leaders from these supposed nations call him up to sign deals. He emphasised that Israel has many friends in the world.
"Many leaders call me up and say, 'Hey, look, I have got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know we respect you', and 'can we some deals, and can you teach us some of the things that your military does, can we have some of your AI and cyber expertise?' Israel is number two country in the world. Our technology is so good. So, the relations are not quite as they appear, and we have many, many friends, and I have to tell you we take care of our friends, especially the Christians in the Middle East," he told Fox News.
The Israeli PM's remarks came after Vance warned members of Netanyahu's cabinet against criticising Trump's deal to end the Iran war. He described Trump as the "only head of the State in the world" who was sympathetic to Israel at the current time.
While addressing a press briefing in the White House on June 18, Vance said, "My message to them would be two-fold, number 1 - Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of the State of the world's super power."
"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 added.