# Vance breaks with Trump over Netanyahu endorsement

> The Vice President declines to back Israel's PM for re-election, a day after Trump gave his "complete and total" support.
- Title: Vance breaks with Trump over Netanyahu endorsement · TIME
- Summary: The Vice President declines to back Israel's PM for re-election, a day after Trump gave his "complete and total" support. Vice President J.D. Vance declined…
- Keywords: j.d. vance, benjamin netanyahu, donald trump, israel, 2026 israeli election, u.s. foreign policy, news, world, Vance, breaks, Trump, Netanyahu
- Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/10/20/vance-netanyahu-endorsement-trump-israeli-elections
- Author: Callum Sutherland
- Published: 2026-10-20T13:45:15+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: j.d. vance, benjamin netanyahu, donald trump, israel, 2026 israeli election, u.s. foreign policy, news, world
## Vance declines Netanyahu endorsement
Vice President J.D. Vance declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election on Monday, a day after President Donald Trump publicly backed him.
## Vance focuses on American candidates
When asked if he would endorse Netanyahu, Vance said the President has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history, and he focuses on American candidates and the midterms.

> The President has the most effective endorsement in American, or international, political history.
## Vance stays neutral on Netanyahu
When pressed further, Vance clarified his position, saying he was neither anti-endorsing nor pro-endorsing Netanyahu, distinguishing himself from Trump's stance.

> I'm not anti-endorsing [Netanyahu], I'm not pro-endorsing him.
## Trump backs Netanyahu strongly
Trump put his complete and total support behind Netanyahu, praising him as a great warrior Prime Minister and saying Israel would have been blown up long ago without his involvement.

> Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved.
## Trump warns of Iran consequences
Trump said if Israel has the wrong leader, anyone other than Netanyahu, America will have to handle Iran itself, which he is not inclined to do.

> If Israel has the wrong leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi [Netanyahu], America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so.
## Netanyahu faces election scrutiny
The Israeli election on October twenty-seventh is viewed as a referendum on Netanyahu, who has faced heavy criticism over his handling of the October seventh, twenty twenty-three Hamas attack and the subsequent humanitarian crisis in…
## Vance previously warned Israel
In June, Vance chastised members of Netanyahu's cabinet who opposed Washington negotiating with Tehran to end the Iran war, saying Netanyahu should not attack his 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.
## Vance campaigned for Orbán in Hungary
Despite saying he focuses on American candidates, Vance traveled to Hungary in April and campaigned for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán ahead of parliamentary elections, delivering remarks at a rally for him.

> Together the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Hungary have been able to do amazing things.
## Vance met far-right German leader
Vance also met with Alice Weidel, co-leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany party, in February twenty twenty-five, days before a German election, and criticized Germany's firewall approach to the AfD.

> Democracy rests on the sacred principle that the voice of the people matters. There is no room for firewalls.
## Key takeaway

Vice President J.D. Vance declined to endorse Benjamin Netanyahu for re-election on Monday, contrasting with President Trump's public backing of the Israeli Prime Minister ahead of the October twenty-seventh vote.