The key facts
- Vance: 'I'm not attacking Bibi Netanyahu. I'm not endorsing Bibi Netanyahu'
- Trump earlier announced his 'complete and total' approval of Netanyahu's re-election
- Israel's election will take place on October 27
Vance dodged endorsing Netanyahu
US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday, at a press conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the Israeli election, saying he is focused on the US midterm election campaign. The question came after his recent comments in an interview and his earlier support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and political right-wing forces in Germany.
'I have endorsed only one foreign candidate'
'In my entire life I have endorsed only one foreign candidate in an election, and, first of all, it didn't go particularly well,' Vance said, referring to Orban, whom he, by his own words, admires greatly. 'We are in the middle of an American election cycle, and I am very focused on electing candidates in the United States.' He added: 'As I said in that interview, I'm not attacking Bibi Netanyahu. I'm not endorsing Bibi Netanyahu.'
The decision is up to Trump
Vance stressed that his priority is supporting candidates within the US, and the decision on endorsing Netanyahu rests with President Donald Trump. 'I think ultimately what matters is the president's endorsement, and the president will decide how he distributes it according to his preferences,' the vice president noted. Earlier this week in an interview he said: 'I'm not against his endorsement. I'm not for his endorsement. I'm not interfering in the Israeli election.'
Trump earlier endorsed Netanyahu
Meanwhile, Trump on Sunday, ahead of Israel's October 27 election, announced his 'Complete and Total Endorsement' of the prime minister's bid for re-election. In an extensive post on his Truth Social platform, Trump praised Netanyahu's leadership and the partnership with Washington, especially in confronting Iran. He also warned that if Israeli voters choose a different leader, the US might be forced to shoulder the burden of confronting Iran.
