Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday (local time) cited India as one of Israel's strongest supporters while rejecting US Vice President JD Vance's assertion that Israel should avoid criticising its "only powerful ally", the United States.
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu disagreed with Vance's recent remarks while reiterating that US President Donald Trump remains Israel's closest friend in the White House.
"I respect JD Vance, and we have a very good relationship, but it doesn't mean that I agree with everything that he says. Donald Trump is the greatest friend we ever had in the White House, and I stand by that completely," Netanyahu said.
Highlighting Israel's international support, Netanyahu pointed to India as a key ally.
"We have some other friends, like a small country called India. You know it has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have tremendous support there. You know, I have this Facebook thing, and I'm just flooded by the overwhelming support there," he said.
Netanyahu said Israel continues to receive backing from several countries despite criticism on social media and in sections of the international media.
"Many leaders call me up and say, 'Hey look, I've got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know we respect you, and can we make some deals, and can you teach us some of the things that your military does, and can we have some of your AI and cyber expertise?'" he said.
The Israeli Prime Minister also highlighted the country's technological strengths, saying Israel ranks among the world's leading nations in cybersecurity and advanced technology.
"You know Israel is the number two country in cyber in the world, and our technology is so good. So the relations are not quite as they appear, and we have many, many friends," he added.
Netanyahu's comments came in response to remarks made by US Vice President JD Vance last month during a White House briefing, when he urged Israel to avoid publicly criticising Washington amid ongoing US-Iran peace talks.
"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," Vance had said while responding to reports that Israeli leaders were unhappy with the US-Iran agreement and had criticised President Trump.
Meanwhile, according to Axios, Trump said Netanyahu had requested a meeting at the White House after the US President returns from the NATO summit. Israeli officials indicated the visit could take place next week as both leaders seek to discuss Iran, Lebanon and broader regional security issues despite recent policy differences.
