U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance on Thursday directly called out members of the Israeli cabinet for their personal attacks on President Donald Trump, saying Trump is the only world leader sympathetic to Israel and warning that two-thirds of the defensive arms protecting Israel were built with American tax dollars. The remarks mark an escalation in public tension between the Israeli government and the Trump administration, according to a statement attributed to Vance.
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, in a statement attributed to him and published Thursday evening at 19:16 Jerusalem, directly called out members of the Israeli cabinet for personal attacks on President Donald Trump. Vance stated that 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 warned that over the past three months, two-thirds of the defensive arms protecting Israel were 'built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.' The remarks, which the drafter's dispatch noted mark an escalation in public tension, were the latest in a rapid cascade of statements from Vance throughout Thursday evening — each reported at 19:16 Jerusalem — that grew progressively sharper.
This development is the seventh version of a story The Zioneer has tracked since Thursday evening. At 19:16 Jerusalem, the first report had Vance telling critics in the Israeli government not to attack 'the only leader who supports you,' adding that Israel was built on American money. By the second version — also at 19:16 — Vance had specified in an interview that two-thirds of Israel's defensive weapons were built and paid for by the U.S. The third and fourth versions, both at 19:16, escalated further: Vance reportedly told Israeli ministers that 'your state was built from our money' and warned them to 'wake up,' claiming American funds and protection sustain Israel. By the fifth version, also at 19:16, Vance was reported to have claimed Iran's pragmatic camp had won the internal debate and that Israel must respect the U.S.-Iran peace process. The sixth version repeated the two-thirds statistic; this seventh version is the first to frame the remarks as a direct 'calling out' of cabinet members.
As The Zioneer has reported, this public rift between the Netanyahu cabinet and the Trump administration has been building over issues including the emerging U.S.-Iran nuclear deal and Israeli ministers' public criticism of Trump. A Zioneer bulletin from Thursday at 21:11 Jerusalem cited Vance sharply rebuking Israeli ministers who oppose the Iran deal, telling them: 'I wouldn't attack the last strongest ally you have left.' Israeli commentators, as reported by The Zioneer on Sunday June 14 and Monday June 15, have warned that Israel may face Iran alone amid the crisis. The current statement from Vance does not name specific ministers but appears to address a broader pattern of personal attacks from Israeli officials.
The full context of Vance's remarks — whether delivered in a private briefing, an interview, or a social media post — remains unclear, as the statement is attributed to him but published without a specific venue or venue format.
8 developments
- DevelopingVP Vance warns Israeli cabinet: 'Don't attack the only world leader who supports you'
- StrongUS VP Vance: 'I wouldn't attack your last remaining strong ally' — Israeli pundit replies
- StrongVP Vance says US speaks directly with Iran, calls Gulf states allies of Trump deal
- DevelopingSenior UAE analyst: Only Trump and Vance trust Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake