In remarks published Thursday evening, U.S. Vice President JD Vance directly questioned Israeli Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, asking what alternative they propose to the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement. "You are a country of nine million people," Vance said. "You cannot simply kill your way out of every national security problem." His comments follow a New York Times interview in which he also noted that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not criticized the deal.
In remarks published Thursday evening, U.S. Vice President JD Vance directly questioned Israeli Ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, asking what alternative they propose to the emerging U.S.-Iran agreement. "You are a country of nine million people," Vance said. "You cannot simply kill your way out of every national security problem." The comments, reported by Israeli media, mark an escalation in the administration's public pushback against coalition figures who have opposed the deal. As The Zioneer first reported at 17:14 Jerusalem on Thursday, Vance told the New York Times that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not criticized the agreement and is well-acquainted with its details. In that initial dispatch, Vance specifically named Ben Gvir and Smotrich as critics who, he argued, have failed to present an alternative framework, contrasting their opposition with what he described as Netanyahu's more measured approach. Across all three published versions of this story — each timestamped 17:14 Jerusalem — the core claim (that Netanyahu has not criticized the deal) has remained consistent, attributed to Vance's NYT interview. No on-record rebuttal from either minister or from the Prime Minister's office has been published as of 17:32 Jerusalem. The remarks drew immediate reaction on social media; some coalition supporters accused the administration of disregarding Israeli security concerns. Analysts cited by The Zioneer saw Vance's phrasing as a pointed critique of the coalition's military-first posture. It remains unclear whether either minister will respond directly to the Vice President's challenge, and no alternative proposal from Ben Gvir or Smotrich has been publicly outlined.
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
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