©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Andrew Leyden
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has accused Israel of trying to influence U.S. public opinion to prolong the war with Iran. In a conversation with podcaster Joe Rogan, he said that, in his view, some figures within the Israeli government are actively working to undermine U.S. diplomacy.
Vance emphasized that he maintains good relations with “certain people” within the Israeli government, but at the same time spoke of others who, in his view, are “manipulating” the situation to continue the war “indefinitely.” He said this involves foreign governments attempting to influence U.S. leaders, who are then being guided by them.
During The Joe Rogan Experience, Vance that people within the Israeli government are trying to steer the U.S. away from its efforts to negotiate with Iran. “I definitely think you’ve seen that there was a very discreet, extremely well-funded campaign to torpedo the negotiations and the deal,” he said. According to him, there is also “hard evidence” that some Israeli leaders “hate the deal.”
These statements fit into a broader diplomatic tension surrounding the conflict with Iran. Vance himself played a prominent role in the negotiations. In April, he participated in talks in Pakistan, and in June, he traveled to Switzerland for the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. According to Vance, there was a “well-funded” campaign to sabotage that agreement. He said he has “concrete evidence” of this, though he did not specify which documents or individuals were involved. The Israeli cabinet did not immediately respond to his comments on Tuesday. The White House struck a cautious tone. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that President Donald Trump is certain that foreign countries are trying to influence American public opinion.
Tensions between the U.S. and Israel have escalated further in recent weeks, as Washington continues to seek a way out of the war through diplomacy as well as new military strikes against Iran. Earlier this month, Vance warned Israeli leaders not to alienate what he described as Israel’s only remaining powerful ally. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted against a proposal to halt billions of dollars in U.S. aid to Israel. The proposal failed by a vote of 314 to 104, though a striking number of Democrats voted in favor of freezing the aid.
©picture alliance / NurPhoto | Andrew Leyden