that Vice President J.D. Vance’s problem with Israel is deeper and more far-reaching than he is.
The report stated that when American and Israeli aircraft launched raids on Iran on February 28, Israeli officials allowed themselves to believe that the alliance was entering a golden age, but four months later they are preparing for a future in which Israel finds itself more isolated than ever.
The US Vice President opened the door last week, telling Israel that it no longer has almost any allies in the world, and that it should think carefully before abandoning its only friend.
The magazine says the problem is far bigger than Vance's statements, according to seven people, including American and Israeli officials and others familiar with the relationship. They say Vance is merely the face of a new normal, in which Israel's status as a U.S. ally is no longer any better than others.
Sources: Vance is merely a front for the new normal, where Israel's status as a US ally is no better than others.
An Israeli political advisor said that Israel expected, when President Donald Trump took office, that his “America First” foreign policy would include an exception for Israel and treat it more specially than others.
The advisor added: “This would never have been generalized and we could not have remained for four years an exception to everything America does in its foreign policy.” And, “When the clash occurred, Israel was naive to think that it would be immune to these expectations.”
The magazine adds that the cooling of relations between the two sides is evident. In 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington five times. He visited once this year in February, but there are no confirmed dates for another visit to the White House, and phone calls have noticeably decreased, according to a source familiar with relations between the two governments. The same source said, “I don’t think we’ve reached the worst possible point; there’s still more to come.”
The White House affirmed that US-Israeli relations remain strong, with White House spokeswoman Olivia Wells stating: “The President and Vice President agree that Israel has always been a strong ally of the United States, and there has been no greater friend of Israel and advocate for peace than President Trump. The Israeli military was an invaluable partner throughout Operation Epic Fury, which crippled the Iranian regime’s military capabilities in just 38 days.”
However, Vance's warning to Israel was unusually harsh. At his press conference, he stated, "Donald Trump is the only world leader who is sympathetic to the State of Israel at this moment, and if I were in the Israeli government, I would never attack the only strong ally I have left in the entire world." He pointed to Washington's significant contributions to Israel's defense and hinted at the possibility of this relationship changing: "Anyone in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the President of the United States needs to understand the reality of the situation in their country."
Vance's office declined to comment, but a source close to his team said the letter was an acknowledgment of what Vance sees as a new political reality.
The source added: “The Vice President is aware that public opinion is turning against Israel among voters, including young Republicans, and he is responding accordingly, with caution rather than a harsh tone.”
The magazine adds that Vance's remarks surprised some Israeli officials, despite their familiarity with his skepticism about the relationship between the two countries, with one describing it as a "black mark." Vance had long argued, even before becoming vice president, that Israeli and American interests do not always align and that the United States should not be drawn into a war with Iran on its behalf.
In a 2024 podcast, when he was Trump’s running mate, he said, “Israel has the right to defend itself, but America’s interests will sometimes differ. Our primary interest is to avoid war with Iran.” As a result, Israel preferred dealing with Trump and his Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, rather than Vance, according to a source familiar with the relationship between the two governments. This source, however, also speculated that the vice president’s reservations were a fringe opinion that Israel could overlook. Vance’s prominent role in the Iran negotiations and the resulting agreement, however, suggest otherwise.
While the memorandum of understanding with Iran helps the Trump administration achieve its goal of lowering oil prices and reopening shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, it only agreed to talk about Iran’s nuclear program and did not address Israel’s concerns about ballistic missiles and a regime that Israel believes remains committed to destroying them.
The magazine pointed to the contradiction in Trump's rhetoric regarding Israel, as he praised and condemned it simultaneously, and his tone towards the US ally was noticeably harsher and more critical.
The magazine pointed to the inconsistency in Trump's rhetoric toward Israel, noting that he simultaneously praised and condemned the country, and that his tone toward the US ally was noticeably harsher and more critical. Earlier this month, amid his frustration with Israeli actions in Lebanon that threatened Iranian talks, he described Netanyahu as "crazy."
The magazine quoted Nathan Sachs, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute in Washington, as saying that Netanyahu’s government sees this rift, but does not realize how much of it exists. He said: “At the leadership level, there is deep concern, but they are downplaying the seriousness of the moment.”
Even the new framework signed by Israel and Lebanon on Friday, committing to taking steps toward ending the conflict, may not be enough to change course. The agreement binds the two governments but not Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militia fighting Israel. Historically, the Lebanese government has been unable to do much to alter the group's behavior.
Sachs added that “it depends largely on what happens in Lebanon, where the situation has revealed fundamental differences in interests. For the United States, any agreement with Iran, whatever it may be, Trump has decided that this agreement is in America’s interest, and Lebanon is not that important. As for Israel, Lebanon cannot be marginalized and considered a secondary matter.”
As the voting dates in the United States and Israel approach, the gap between what Israel wants from Washington and what Washington will offer is likely to widen.
In dealing with the situation, Netanyahu's office is trying to focus its resentment solely on Vance. A source familiar with relations between the two governments said, "His own government never trusted him; he was the one who sought an agreement, and he was the one who sought separation from Israel."
A source said that Netanyahu and his office do not consider everything that is happening now with Trump to be the end of the road, because things could turn upside down, and everyone is fully aware of that.
Vance's allies say the vice president and Trump are in agreement, more so than ever, even before Trump's decision to attack Iran.
Another ally of the vice president said: “JD Vance was echoing the president, who, by the way, has been very vocal lately in his criticism of Netanyahu, both privately and publicly.”
Two weeks after cursing Netanyahu, Trump said at the G7 summit: “If it weren’t for me, there would be no Israel.”
JD Vance was echoing the president's words, who, incidentally, had recently been very vocal in his criticism of Netanyahu, both privately and publicly.
Despite all this tension, Israeli officials still view the relationship holistically, weighing the significant gains achieved during the Trump administration, such as ending the Gaza war and securing the release of 20 prisoners, against the recent tensions. They want Washington to take this broader picture into account as well.
The Israeli advisor said, “Trump has accomplished important and admirable things for Israel.” As a result, Israel is inclined to “give him another chance, overlook some of his statements, and say: Look, we can accept the kind of statements he sometimes makes. Because in the end, when push comes to shove, he will certainly stand with us.”
Meanwhile, Vance and others on Trump’s team were not spared from Israeli criticism. This was particularly evident on Channel 14, a pro-Netanyahu television station known for relaying and reflecting the prime minister’s office messages. Yinon Magal, a late-night talk show host, referred to Vance in Hebrew as “scum” or “degenerate,” and the channel accused Steve Wittkopf and Jared Kushner of betraying “their brothers in Israel.”
When asked on a podcast whether he trusted Vance, Naftali Bennett, one of Netanyahu's main rivals, replied: "I haven't met him. Generally speaking, I would say there are strong winds in America, reminiscent of the isolationism that prevailed before World War II. We have to act according to this reality."
Officials in both Israel and the United States expect the divisions to deepen in the coming months. Netanyahu's fate at the ballot box in October now hinges on a White House he can no longer rely on.
A source familiar with relations between the two governments said, “Netanyahu was counting on Trump giving him his full support before the election, and that hasn’t happened yet, though it might, but not now.” Meanwhile, the Republican Party will face its own internal struggle over Israel at the ballot box in a month.
The prospect of Vance winning the 2028 election casts a shadow over everything, as his record on Iran can only be defended if he can promote the Iran war as the beginning of a new Middle East.
Matthew Bartlett, a former Trump-appointed Republican strategist and State Department official, told the former audiences and the grassroots: “It is interesting to see the Vice President hint, so to speak, at his thoughts and vision for the future, and how he chooses not only to deal with these issues, but also to explain them to the international public and, more importantly, to the domestic public and his grassroots base.”
