U.S. Vice President JD Vance, in a New York Times interview published Thursday, directly questioned Israeli Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, who have attacked the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement. 'What exactly is your proposal?' Vance asked, according to the transcript. The remarks are the latest in a series of public exchanges between the administration and Israeli critics of the nuclear deal.
Just past 17:14 Jerusalem on Thursday, U.S. Vice President JD Vance escalated his rhetorical campaign against Israeli critics of the emerging U.S.-Iran nuclear agreement. In a New York Times interview published at that time, Vance directly challenged Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich who have opposed the deal, asking: 'What exactly is your alternative?' The question is the latest jab in a back-and-forth that Vance has sharpened over the course of Thursday.
Earlier Thursday, at 17:14 Jerusalem, The Zioneer first reported Vance's remarks from the same interview, in which he questioned the ministers' approach, saying Israel 'cannot simply kill your way out of every security problem' and noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not criticized the deal and is familiar with its content. Those initial reports have been updated through multiple versions as details from the interview transcript emerged, moving from a general criticism of the ministers' security approach to a direct demand for a counter-proposal.
The public confrontation is part of a broader pattern. As The Zioneer reported on Wednesday, Vance fired back at Israeli journalist Yinon Magal and other prominent critics, charging that they had adopted 'Iranian propaganda.' On Tuesday, Vance promoted the agreement on Fox News, arguing it benefits Israel, while the full text remains classified, as The Zioneer noted. The administration has consistently framed the deal as a win for both the U.S. and Israel, even as Israeli political and security figures remain sharply divided.
Neither Ben Gvir nor Smotrich has publicly responded to Vance's demand for an alternative proposal, and no counter-proposal from either minister has been made public. The full text of the agreement also remains classified, leaving a central point of contention unresolved.
5 developments
- StrongVance tells NYT Israel gripped by 'strange panic' over US-Iran deal, questions critics
- DevelopingVP Vance says Netanyahu does not criticize US-Iran deal because he knows its details
- StrongVP Vance promotes US-Iran agreement on Fox News, says deal benefits Israel
- StrongVP Vance: Iran pledged not to fire at Israel, will sign deal — after Israeli Beirut strike
Source and signal
- Internal intake