Vice President JD Vance has declined to follow President Trump in endorsing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Vance declined on Monday to endorse Netanyahu for reelection, a day after Trump endorsed the embattled Israeli leader. Here is what each side said.
What Vance said
Not an attack on Netanyahu
What Trump said
When is the Israeli election?
Why people are paying attention
Not the first foreign leader
What it does and doesn’t mean
Declining to endorse isn’t opposing. Vance said he is neutral, and no report quotes him saying he wants Netanyahu to lose. How the comment is read will depend on the reader’s politics.
Bottom line
The president backed Netanyahu, and the vice president stayed out of it. Israelis will decide the election at the ballot box next week.
