US Vice President JD Vance declined to endorse Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of the election scheduled for October 27, saying he wants to stay out of the race and focus on the American midterms.
Speaking in an interview with journalist Mark Halperin on Monday, Vance said: "I'm not opposed to endorsing him. I'm not endorsing him either. I'm not involved in the Israeli election." He added: "I support American candidates and that's where my focus is — the midterms."
The vice president's comments came just a day after President Donald Trump publicly backed Netanyahu. Across his two terms, Trump has built close ties with Netanyahu and Israel's right-wing government.
In his first term, Trump moved the US embassy to West Jerusalem, recognized Israel's annexation of the Golan Heights, withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and pushed a series of normalization agreements with Arab states that sidelined the Israeli-Palestinian issue. Since returning to office in January 2025, the Trump administration has continued arms sales to Israel, engaged in conflict with Iran and stepped up pressure on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Vance, seen as a potential candidate in the 2028 presidential race, has become a symbol of growing Republican discontent with Washington's unconditional support for Israel. That sentiment has deepened after the impact of the US-Israeli war with Iran, which drove up costs for American consumers.
Although the vice president argues the US should keep supporting Israel, he still faces skepticism from Jewish Republican members over his commitment to the alliance. In June, as Israel opposed a ceasefire plan with Iran, Vance told Israel: "You can't just kill your way out of every national security problem." He also warned Netanyahu's cabinet against alienating Trump, calling the US president the "only strong ally" Israel has left.
It is unclear whether Trump's endorsement will help Netanyahu's Likud party ahead of the vote, as some polls show unease with the US president over what are seen as efforts to restrain Israeli operations in Lebanon and his opposition to further escalation with Iran.
Polls show the Yashar party leading Likud before the October 27 vote. The party's leader, former Israeli military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, has said he will seek to build an opposition bloc to form a government.
