J.D. Vance Accuses Israel of Trying to Undermine Iran Deal

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance continued his sharp criticism of Israel in an interview released overnight (between Wednesday and Thursday) on Joe Rogan's podcast, where he criticized members of the Israeli government on several key issues.

Vance accused Israel of conducting an "influence campaign" against the Trump administration's negotiations with Iran and criticized Israeli ministers who have publicly attacked Washington. According to him, there is evidence that Israeli figures funded a campaign in the United States aimed at undermining the deal with Iran and promoting what he called a "forever war."

He claimed that Israeli figures are carrying out "a campaign flying under the radar, funded with enormous sums," intended to influence American public opinion and derail negotiations with Tehran. According to Vance, the effort is designed to prolong the conflict "not for a specific goal, but simply forever."

The vice president also argued that Israel is losing the battle for public opinion in the United States. Repeating remarks he made in an earlier interview, he said: "If I were a minister in the Israeli government, I would avoid attacking the U.S., which is the only ally Israel has left."

Vance also referred to an article published in Time magazine that alleged American influencers were paid by a senior campaign figure who, according to the report, had received funding from Jerusalem to oppose the agreement.

"When I open Time magazine and see that a foreign influence campaign is being funded with the explicit goal of derailing the very deal I'm advancing, and when many of the people receiving the money are also attacking me in completely false ways, my response is: go to hell," Vance said.

He stressed that his primary responsibility is to represent the interests of the American people and implement the negotiating policy set by President Donald Trump.

Vance compared Israel's lobbying efforts to those of Qatar and Russia, saying, "I'm not bothered that Qatar tries to influence the U.S., and I'm not bothered that Israel tries to do it. It's simply part of the reality of being a political leader in 2026." However, he argued that such efforts become problematic when American leaders allow them to shape policy "against the American interest."

The vice president also rejected accusations that his views reflect antisemitism, calling such claims "crazy." "I have enormous respect for the Jewish religion," he said, adding that he sees himself as representing the "moderate and sensible voice" in the American debate over Israel.

Vance reiterated his call to reassess aspects of the U.S.-Israel relationship, describing Israel as an ally similar to France or Britain, with whom the United States agrees on some issues and disagrees on others based on shared interests.

He concluded by saying that, despite the criticism, "the U.S. was not pushed into military action in Iran because of blackmail or Israeli pressure. Trump is acting out of a firm belief that Iran must not be allowed to possess nuclear weapons."