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The US vice president accuses elements of the Israeli government of trying to influence US policy, while analysts speak of a change in relations between Washington and Tel Aviv...
United States Vice President JD Vance has issued unusual criticism of several members of the Israeli government, accusing them of attempting to influence American public opinion in order to continue the war with Iran.
In an interview for a podcast widely followed by supporters of President Donald Trump's MAGA movement, Vance stated that there are individuals within the Israeli government who have tried to steer the US administration away from its policy of ending the conflict.
"I know without a doubt that there are people within the Israeli government who are trying, in some way, to steer us away from this policy, because they want to continue the military campaign," he said.
Vance added that, although he has good relations with some Israeli officials, there are individuals within the Israeli political system who, in his opinion, are trying to manipulate public opinion in the US to prolong the war.
"There are individuals in their system who we know without a doubt are manipulating and trying to change American public opinion so that the war can continue indefinitely," he said.
However, the US vice president stressed that efforts by other countries to influence American policy are not unusual.
"I don't mind that Israel tries to do this. Frankly, I don't mind when Russia or other countries do it either. This is part of the nature of international politics. What worries me is when these influence campaigns manage to actually affect American political judgment," he declared.
Vance also defended President Donald Trump's stance on Iran, emphasizing that Trump remains a strong ally of Israel, but added that American decisions must be made based on US interests.
Asked whether the US would have been involved in the recent conflict with Iran without Israel's influence, Vance replied that he believes it would.
"I think the president, despite any influence from Israel, is deeply convinced - and I agree with him - that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons," he said.
Vance's statements have been described as unprecedented by US foreign policy analysts. Former Israeli diplomat and columnist Alon Pinkas told Al Jazeera that no sitting vice president had previously publicly accused Israel of conducting an influence campaign against US policy.
According to him, the statements show that Washington and Tel Aviv "are no longer on the same page" on the Iran issue and could signal a deeper change in relations between the two allies.
Hours after Vance's interview, it was announced that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had canceled a planned visit to the United States next week. His office said the decision was related to postponing a memorial service for Senator Lindsey Graham, but did not comment on the US vice president's statements.
Meanwhile, Time magazine reported that a former Donald Trump presidential campaign manager had run a digital campaign on behalf of Israel to influence the MAGA audience in the U.S. According to documents filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Act (FARA), Brad Parscale’s company was contracted to produce content and promote pro-Israel messages on social media and other digital platforms, with a contract worth $1.5 million per month.
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