Published on 6/27/2026
Politico magazine revealed – citing informed American and Israeli sources and officials – that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu does not trust J.D. Vance, the US Vice President, considering him one of the most prominent pushers towards reaching an agreement with Iran, and he also sought to push towards reducing American ties with Israel.
The magazine pointed out that Vance has for years emphasized that American and Israeli interests are not always identical, and that the United States should not be drawn into a confrontation with Iran on behalf of Israel, a position that has continued to raise reservations in Israeli decision-making circles.
According to a source familiar with the interactions between the two governments, Israel preferred for a long time to communicate directly with President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio instead of Vance, considering that his conservative positions towards the American-Israeli relationship represent a marginal trend within the administration.
However, the pivotal role he played in the negotiations with Iran and the resulting agreement showed that his influence inside the White House was greater than Tel Aviv thought.
“We should not fight on behalf of Israel”
Politico quoted an informed source as saying that Vance’s recent statements “shocked the Israelis” and were considered in official Israeli circles to be “one of the lowest points in the course of relations between the two countries.”
According to those close to the Vice President, these statements reflect a growing conviction within the administration that popular support for Israel is declining among sectors of American voters, including within the young Republican base, which imposes a different political approach to the relationship with Tel Aviv.
The US Vice President had sharply criticized members of the Israeli government who attacked the memorandum of understanding reached with Iran, saying that President Donald Trump is “the only president currently sympathetic to Israel.”
Vance said that if he were in the place of any member of the Israeli government, he would not have “attacked the only strong ally I have left in the entire world,” noting that “two-thirds of the weapons that protected them over the past months were manufactured and financed by the United States.”
On the other hand, a person close to Vance said that the vice president “simply reflects Trump’s positions,” stressing that the American president has become more critical of Netanyahu, whether in his public statements or in his private conversations.
“We thought we were an exception.”
The magazine quoted 7 informed American and Israeli officials and sources as saying that Israel’s crisis with the American administration is “much bigger than J.D. Vance,” noting that the Vice President now embodies a new reality in Washington in which Israel no longer enjoys an exceptional status ahead of other allies of the United States.
An Israeli political advisor said, according to Politico, that Tel Aviv was betting, with President Trump’s return to the White House, on being exempt from the requirements of the “America First” doctrine, but he admitted that this perception was wrong, adding: “We were naive when we thought that we would remain a special exception within this policy.”
The next is worse
Politico pointed to increasing indications of cooling relations between the two sides, explaining that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington 5 times during the year 2025, while he only made one visit this year, with no announced plans for a new visit, coinciding with a noticeable decline in the frequency of telephone communications between the two governments.
An informed source reported that telephone communications between the American and Israeli governments have declined significantly during the recent period, warning that bilateral relations may be heading for further deterioration.
He added: “We do not believe that we have reached the worst possible stage yet, and what is coming may be worse.”
On the other hand, the White House spokeswoman confirmed that President Trump and Vice President Vance adopt the same position towards Israel, stressing that it “has always been a great ally of the United States.” She added that Trump was “unparalleled in his support for Israel and his push for peace,” praising the Israeli military partnership during Operation “Epic Rage” against Iran.
American and Israeli sources and officials who spoke to the magazine expected that the gap of differences between Washington and Tel Aviv would widen in the coming months, in light of a growing discrepancy in interests and priorities between the two sides.
