“I do not interfere in Israel’s elections.” Trump’s deputy refuses to say whether he supports Netanyahu’s re-election

- US Vice President J.D. Vance refused, on Monday, to say whether he supports the re-election of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after US President Donald Trump expressed his support for him. Vance said in an interview with journalist Mark Halperin on Air Force One: “I support the American candidates, and this is my focus currently in light of the midterm elections. I do not interfere in the Israeli elections.”

However, Vance traveled to the Hungarian capital, Budapest, earlier this year to support veteran Prime Minister Viktor Orban - who has Trump's support - before the election, which he lost. Vance declined to take a specific position on Netanyahu, saying: “I am not opposed to endorsing him, and I am not in favor of endorsing him.

I simply do not interfere in the Israeli elections.” During the interview, Vance touched on the American elections, where he said that he believes that Trump will support him if he decides to run for president in 2028, although he did not discuss this matter with him personally, and he stated: “I believe that if I run, the president will support me.”

When asked if he thought Trump would offer his support once he announced his candidacy, Vance replied: “I think so, but I don’t really know; I haven’t talked to him about it.” At the same time, Vance indicated the possibility of a scenario in which the president wants the 2028 election competition to take its normal course.

“I think I will have his support,” he said, “but there is also merit in the idea of ​​the candidates running their own race. And given that the president’s support carries so much decisive weight, we might imagine a scenario in which the president says: ‘How about we let this race run its course, instead of getting ahead of the events and judging the results in advance?’”

Vance added: “Again, since I have not spoken to the president about this, I cannot say for certain what is on his mind, but my belief is that if I run, the president will support me.” Regarding the Ukrainian crisis, Vance refused to say whether Ukraine is an ally of the United States, noting that although the two countries are “certainly partners in some ways,” they have “sometimes divergent interests.”

“For example, do I think they should bomb Russian diesel facilities that raise energy costs for the Americans? But obviously we are cooperating with them on some issues,” Vance said.

He added: "We will continue to work together on some matters, but I think they should stop bombing Russian energy facilities." The US Vice President's statements come at a time when the Trump administration has distanced itself from Ukraine in its war against Russia in recent weeks, as it lifted a set of sanctions imposed on the fossil fuel sector, allowing Moscow to export diesel.

Vance also stated that he does not support Ukraine joining NATO, a goal that President Volodymyr Zelensky has long pursued. “I mean, we don't have a formal alliance with Ukraine, as far as I know; it's not a member of NATO, and I don't think it should be,” he said. “It's a country - an admirable, beautiful country, with wonderful people - and we'll work together on some issues, but at the same time we'll be on the same page.” "Opposite sides on other files."

During the interview, Vance said that there is a lesson that can be learned from the rapid rise and sudden fall of Katie Zakaria from the position of White House press secretary, which is the necessity of moving forward quickly when things are not going as they should. He added: “We actually learned a very important lesson, which is that when things are not going well, you have to move on.

And I think that's what we did with Katie; It is in her interest, as well as in the interest of the White House.” He acknowledged that the White House could have done a better job in preparing Zakaria for this role, and preparing her for the level of scrutiny she will face, and stated that she is “a kind, wonderful person, with real talent.”

"Part of it has to do with the fact that when you bring someone into this huge maelstrom of stress and attention, maybe we can... better prepare that person for what they're going to encounter next," Vance added.

At the same time, Vance held the media partly responsible, saying: “From the first moment she began her duties, everyone pounced on her as if they were birds of prey.” "People were trying to destroy her," Vance continued, "they were trying to make a big fuss about questions like, 'Did she pass the bar exam or not?' Even though no one ever accused her of violating the law."

The "KFile" section of the Ofoq News Network monitored that, over the past two years, Zakaria published at least 15 posts on social media describing herself as a "lawyer," despite her failure in the California bar exam, and her public admission that she had received advice not to use this title. Ofoq News reported that Vance had dinner with Zakaria and her family at his residence in Washington after her dismissal from her position.