From the Liveblog of
Thursday, June 18, 2026
Vance: Israeli critics of Trump need to ‘wake up’ to their situation, he’s ‘only head of state’ who still likes Israel
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US Vice President JD Vance closes out his White House press conference on the US-Iran memorandum of understanding by lashing out at Israeli critics of the deal once more, claiming that US President Donald Trump is the only world leader who retains sympathy for Israel and that the US is the only “powerful ally” it still has.
He adds that many of Israel’s arms are manufactured in the US, and says Israelis focused on criticizing Trump need to “wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”
He notes that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has refrained from criticizing the deal in conversations with him, but adds, using the premier’s nickname, “What I will say, and this does bother me, is that you have seen people within Bibi’s cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal, and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States.”
He adds, “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. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower. If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
JD Vance ends his press conference by turning on Israel: "What does bother me is you've seen people in Bibi's cabinet who have come out and attacked the deal and in some ways very personally attacked the president. My message to them is Donald J Trump is the only head in the… pic.twitter.com/7JfbbgPZm7
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 18, 2026
He continues, addressing Israeli critics, “Over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.”
Since the beginning of the Gaza war following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack, a growing chorus of voices in the US have taken a critical tone toward — if not outright opposed — US military aid to Israel, which once enjoyed broad support in Washington. Netanyahu has proposed phasing it out over a decade-long period.
Vance suggests Israeli critics of Trump must become aware of how unpopular their country has become.
“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump,” Vance continues. “And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.”
The Times of Israel Community.