JD Vance accuses Israel of ‘manipulating’ US public opinion to escalate the war on Iran
US Vice President JD Vance accused some members of the Israeli government of trying to influence the views of the American people to increase the war on Iran.
In an interview published on Wednesday, Vance told conservative podcaster Joe Rogan that while he trusts some people in the Israeli government, there are others who are “manipulative and trying to change the American public opinion so that the war will continue forever”.
The Israeli government did not immediately respond to Vance’s comments.
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt said on Thursday: “I think the president would certainly agree that, yes, foreign countries are trying to sway American public opinion.”
Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience, Vance said people in the Israeli government were trying to distract the US from its efforts to negotiate with Iran.
“I think you have seen this very clever, very well-financed campaign to try to undermine the negotiations and try to destroy the agreement,” he added, adding that there is “direct evidence” that some Israeli leaders “hate the agreement”.
The US reached an agreement with Iran last month, known as a memorandum of understanding (MOU). It allowed for formal negotiations to continue, including the 60-day deadline and the condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
However, tensions over the Strait have rekindled recently and the US has stepped up its strikes on Iran while Tehran has targeted America’s allies in the region.
Vance has been heavily involved in negotiations with Iran – attending talks in Pakistan in April and traveling to Switzerland in June for the signing of the MOU.
He told Joe Rogan that he “ignores” what he described as “certain parts of the Israeli government” that criticize the US position, adding that “foreign governments try and influence the government all the time”.
“What saddens me is that if the American people allow, meaning the American leadership allows, that influences their judgment and influences what they promote,” he said.
It is the latest in a series of recent criticisms the vice president has made against Israel as the Trump administration continues to try to end the war, both through diplomatic negotiations and renewed military strikes.
In June, he urged Israeli political leaders, some of whom had criticized the US over its deal with Iran to extend the ceasefire between the two countries, not to attack the “only powerful body” they have “anywhere in the world”.
The US and Israel launched broad-based strikes on Iran in February, prompting Tehran to respond by attacking Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. The war has spread to Lebanon.
Israel considers Iran a threat to its existence and wants the complete elimination of Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, as well as regime change.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a measure to cut billions of dollars in US aid to Israel.
The proposal failed by a vote of 314 to 104, with most Democrats voting to end the funding – signaling a shift in the party from unequivocal support for Israel.
