“He Didn’t Confront Me”: Vance Rejects Report of Clash With Netanyahu

U.S. Vice President JD Vance rejected a report that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confronted him during a private meeting in Washington, saying the two held a candid but positive discussion.

“He didn’t confront me. We had a nice and frank conversation,” Vance told Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Wednesday. “I would frankly describe it as a pleasant but direct conversation. I didn’t feel confronted.”

Vance’s remarks came after Axios reporter Barak Ravid reported that Netanyahu challenged him over his recent criticism of the Israeli government and raised concerns about Israel’s declining standing among Republican voters. While the report’s headline described the exchange as a confrontation, U.S. and Israeli officials quoted in the article characterized it as direct and candid.

The vice president used warmer language toward Jerusalem than in several recent public statements, calling Israel a close American ally. However, he did not retreat from his position that the administration must judge every dispute according to U.S. interests.

“Israel has been a great partner. They’re an ally of the United States of America,” Vance said. “Like France, like the United Kingdom, like any other ally of the United States, sometimes we have disagreements.”

“My job is to pursue the interests of no other nation on Earth except for the United States of America,” he added.

Vance said that when American and Israeli interests coincide, officials discuss how to achieve their shared goals. When he disagrees with Netanyahu, he said, the two speak openly rather than concealing their differences.

The meeting took place at Blair House on July 28 during Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where the prime minister met President Donald Trump and attended the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham. Iran was a central issue during the visit.

The discussion followed sharper comments by Vance in July, when he accused some figures in the Israeli government of attempting to influence American public opinion against a U.S.-Iran agreement. He also questioned Israeli assessments about the conflict and the likelihood that public unrest would bring down Iran’s government.

Netanyahu had already offered a similar account of the meeting, telling ABC News that he and Vance had spoken directly and resolved the dispute.

“I had a very good conversation with the vice president this morning, and I think we straightened that out,” Netanyahu said.

A senior White House official also described the meeting as cordial and productive. Vance’s latest remarks therefore did not erase the policy differences between Washington and Jerusalem, but rejected the portrayal of their private discussion as hostile.