‘Have some other friends, like India’: Israeli PM Netanyahu firmly rebuts JD Vance’s ‘only powerful ally’ remark

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described India as one of Israel’s strongest international supporters while rejecting US Vice President JD Vance’s suggestion that the United States is Israel’s only powerful ally.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu said Israel continued to receive significant backing from countries beyond Washington. He singled out India for what he described as overwhelming public support, even as he reiterated that US President Donald Trump remained Israel’s closest friend in the White House.

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“I respect JD Vance, and we have a very good relationship, but it doesn’t mean that I agree with everything that he says. Donald Trump is the greatest friend we ever had in the White House, and I stand by that completely,” Netanyahu said.

He then referred to India’s support for Israel.

“We have some other friends, like a small country called India. You know it has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have tremendous support there. You know, I have this Facebook thing, and I’m just flooded by the overwhelming support there,” he said.

Netanyahu says Israel has support beyond the US

The Israeli Prime Minister said international backing for Israel extended beyond what was often reflected in public discourse or media coverage.

“Many leaders call me up and say, ‘Hey look, I’ve got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know we respect you, and can we make some deals, and can you teach us some of the things that your military does, and can we have some of your AI and cyber expertise?'” he said.

Netanyahu also described Israel as a global technology leader.

“You know Israel is the number two country in cyber in the world, and our technology is so good. So the relations are not quite as they appear, and we have many, many friends,” he said.

Remarks follow JD Vance’s comments on US-Israel ties

Netanyahu’s response came after Vance last month urged Israel to avoid publicly criticising Washington while the United States pursued diplomatic engagement with Iran.

“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,” Vance had said during a White House briefing while responding to reports that Israeli leaders were unhappy with the US-Iran agreement and had criticised President Trump.

Separately, Axios reported that Trump said Netanyahu had requested a meeting at the White House. The US President said the two leaders would meet after speaking over the phone, although Israeli officials indicated the visit could take place the following week because of Trump’s travel schedule.

According to the report, the proposed meeting comes amid reported differences between the two leaders over Iran, Lebanon and broader regional security issues. Despite those differences, they have agreed to meet in Washington as Israel prepares for its October elections.

(With ANI inputs)