Israel was in shock on Friday after US Vice President JD Vance harshly criticised the Israeli government as the Trump administration tries to advance peace negotiations with Iran.
“Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time, and he happens to be the head of state of the world's superpower,” Mr Vance said.
“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.
“Anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in,” he added.
The unprecedented language from the generally pro-Israel Trump administration sounded alarm bells in the country, which relies heavily on the US for military and diplomatic support.
It comes at a crucial time for Israel, which fears its security is at risk after the agreement of a memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran.
The agreement paves the way for Iran to receive billions of dollars, does not order the end of the Iranian nuclear programme and does not address the country’s ballistic missile programme or its sponsorship of regional proxy groups, all major challenges for Israel.
Mr Vance’s comments came after Mr Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had been fighting Hezbollah for “too long and too many people are being killed”.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid slammed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government for ruining diplomatic relations in a post on Friday morning.
“In the past day, the US Vice President got angry at a press conference over [right-wing Israeli cabinet ministers Bezalel] Smotrich and [Itamar] Ben-Gvir; Foreign Minister [Gideon] Saar cut ties with the European Union's foreign minister and President Trump said Netanyahu is showing irresponsibility in Lebanon. If we don't quickly replace this government, Israel's foreign relations will be wiped out,” he wrote on X.
Pro-Netanyahu journalist Amit Segal said: “When the US VP praises Iran's moderate leadership but attacks Israel's extremism, you know we have a problem.”
The alarm did not deter Israeli ministers. Shortly after Mr Vance’s remarks, Mr Ben-Gvir, the National Security Minister, said Israel’s proposal for victory against its regional enemies was “to deal with the Nazis of the 21st century, just as the United States dealt with the Nazis of the 20th century”.
Despite increasing US pressure to end the fighting in Lebanon, Israeli ministers continued to call for military escalation.
After four Israeli soldiers were announced to have been killed on Friday by Hezbollah fire, Finance Minister Mr Smotrich said it was “time to speak with fire [and] to open the gates of hell”.
Mr Ben-Gvir said: “For every tear of an Israeli mother, a thousand Lebanese mothers must weep,” before addressing Mr Vance. “All of Lebanon must burn! With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not forfeit. All of Lebanon must burn.
“Our supreme duty is to protect the citizens of Israel and the soldiers of the [Israeli military], and this commitment takes precedence over every other consideration.”
A column by journalist Danny Zaken in the newspaper Israel Hayom, headlined “you could have been the greatest president of all, but you failed”, argued that the president “gravely harmed the human interests of the enlightened world, and you may be remembered forever as the president who brought about American’s humiliation”. The newspaper is owned by a key donor to Mr Trump in the US.
“You betrayed us, the Israelis. And in a single moment, the contempt you once faced suddenly seems so justified and logical,” it said.
Defence Minister Israel Katz doubled down on his government’s insistence that Israeli forces will remain in southern Lebanon in a statement released on Friday afternoon.
Mr Katz said Israel’s military “will remain in the security zone in Lebanon, from the coast to the heights of Beaufort, to protect the northern communities, thwart threats and destroy the terrorist infrastructure in the field – below and above ground”.
He said the military attacked “more than 80 targets and eliminated dozens of terrorists” in response to the killing of the four Israeli soldiers.
