U.S. Vice President JD Vance escalated his criticism of Israeli government ministers on Thursday, telling them to stop attacking President Trump, who he called the only world leader truly supporting Israel. According to Amichai Segal (N12), Vance also told Israeli officials that 'your state was built on our money.' The remarks came alongside Vance's assertion that the pragmatic camp within Iran has recently won the internal debate, and that Israel must respect the U.S.-Iran 'peace process' — refraining from 'running wild' in Lebanon while expecting Hezbollah not to fire rockets.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance escalated his criticism of Israeli government ministers on Thursday evening, telling them to stop attacking President Donald Trump — "the only leader in the world who supports you." According to Amichai Segal (N12), Vance also stated that "your state was built on our money," deepening a public rift between the Trump administration and members of Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet. The remarks came in the same exchange where Vance asserted that the pragmatic camp in Iran has won the internal debate and that Israel must respect the emerging U.S.-Iran "peace process" — even as he demanded that Hezbollah refrain from firing rockets into Israel while insisting that Israel not "run wild" in Lebanon.
Dated antecedents: The Zioneer first reported Vance's criticism at 18:36 Jerusalem, when he described pragmatists as winning the internal Iran debate and said the final agreement is expected to block Iran's long-range missile program. By 18:57, the desk reported Vance's parallel demand for Israeli restraint and Hezbollah forbearance. At 19:16, three separate versions captured the escalation: Vance said Israel's state was built on American money and warned ministers to "wake up," adding that two-thirds of Israel's defensive weapons were recently built and paid for by the U.S. (Israel Hayom). The current dispatch (19:42) consolidates these threads — the money claim reappears alongside the peace-process directive, sourced to N12.
Attributed background: As The Zioneer reported earlier this week (Sun 20:40 Jerusalem), Vance has struck a hard-line posture on preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, even as he pursues the MOU. On Mon 13:45, the desk confirmed Vance's attendance at the Geneva signing; on Wed 10:07, Vance confirmed the MOU includes ending the war "on all fronts," including Lebanon, and acknowledged $300 billion in reconstruction financing for Iran.
What remains open: The precise timing and medium of Vance's latest remarks — whether in a single interview or multiple exchanges — is not specified. The claim that pragmatists have "won" the internal debate in Tehran remains an assertion by a U.S. official, not independently verified by the desk's sources.
7 developments
- DevelopingVP Vance warns Israeli cabinet: 'Don't attack the only world leader who supports you'
- DevelopingSenior UAE analyst: Only Trump and Vance trust Iran
- DevelopingYinon Magal: Two-thirds of Israel's defensive arms built with US money — focus on reality
- StrongVP Vance says US speaks directly with Iran, calls Gulf states allies of Trump deal
Source and signal
- Internal intake