Vance declines Netanyahu endorsement

Vice President JD Vance refused to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday during an interview on Mark Halperin's show 2WAY Tonight.

“I'm not getting involved in the Israeli elections”

Trump backs Netanyahu strongly

President Donald Trump publicly backed Netanyahu's re-election bid on Sunday, writing on Truth Social that Israel needs Bibi or America will do the work itself.

“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves”

Trump's endorsement called most effective

Vance said Monday that Trump has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history, even as he himself stayed neutral on Netanyahu.

Vance focuses on American candidates

The vice president defended his refusal to get involved in Israeli elections by saying he endorses American candidates, adding that is what he is focused on.

“that's what I'm focused on”

Vance's past involvement overseas

Despite declining to endorse Netanyahu, Vance traveled to Hungary in April to campaign for then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was voted out after sixteen years in power.

Vance undecided on twenty twenty-eight run

Vance said Monday he has not decided whether to run for president in twenty twenty-eight but believes Trump will endorse him if he does.

“I think if I run, the president will endorse me right away, right at the beginning.”

Netanyahu faces Gaza backlash

Trump's endorsement comes as Netanyahu faces mounting criticism over Israel's deadly assault on Gaza and intensifying settler violence in the occupied West Bank.

American journalist attacked by settlers

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Saturday the Trump administration was very disturbed by images after American journalist Heidi Levine, a Washington Post photographer, was attacked.

“very disturbed”

Vance has skeptical Israel record

Vance has previously taken a more skeptical stance toward Israel than many on the right, warning in June that Israel should not attack its only powerful ally.

“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”

American support for Israel declining

Polling shows favorable views of the Israeli government fell from forty-seven percent in twenty twenty-two to thirty-two percent in twenty twenty-six, according to Pew Research Center.