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Vance explains refusal to back Netanyahu after endorsing another foreign leader

The vice president defended his refusal to endorse Netanyahu on the grounds that he would not back a foreign leader – just months after he publicly campaigned on behalf of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán.

By World Israel News Staff

US Vice President JD Vance said Wednesday that he would never again endorse candidates in foreign elections, reaffirming his refusal to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s reelection bid despite President Donald Trump’s public endorsement of the Israeli leader.

Speaking to reporters in Ohio, Vance defended his decision to remain neutral in Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election, citing his unsuccessful endorsement of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán earlier this year.

“I’ve endorsed one foreign candidate for election in my entire life. First of all, it didn’t go particularly well,” Vance said, referring to Orbán’s defeat by Péter Magyar in Hungary’s April election.

“As much as I’m very much an admirer of [former] prime minister Orbán… That was in April 2026,” he added.

Vance emphasized that his immediate priority was helping Republican candidates ahead of the November 3 US congressional midterm elections.

“We’re in the middle of an American election cycle where I’m very focused on getting candidates elected in the United States of America,” he said.

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The vice president insisted that his refusal to support Netanyahu should not be interpreted as opposition to the Israeli prime minister.

“I’m not attacking Bibi Netanyahu. I’m not endorsing Bibi Netanyahu,” Vance said.

“I think the president’s endorsement is ultimately what matters, and the president is going to make the decision about how he doles out that endorsement according to his preferences.”

Vance then made clear that his position extended beyond the upcoming Israeli election.

“I’m not endorsing any more foreign candidates now or in the future,” he declared.

His remarks followed an interview Monday with journalist Mark Halperin, who repeatedly pressed him on whether he supported Netanyahu’s reelection.

“The president has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history,” Vance told Halperin.

“I endorse American candidates, and that’s where I’m focused on in the midterms. So I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”

Asked again whether he supported the Israeli leader, Vance responded, “I’m not anti-endorsing him. I’m not pro-endorsing him. I’m not getting involved in Israeli elections.”

Trump, meanwhile, offered Netanyahu his “Complete and Total Endorsement” on Sunday, describing him as an indispensable partner in the American campaign against Iran.

“Bibi Netanyahu has been a Great Warrior Prime Minister, and an even greater Partner for Peace in combatting the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

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The president also warned that replacing Netanyahu could leave Washington with greater responsibility for confronting Tehran.

“If Israel has the wrong Leader, which would be anyone other than Bibi, America will have to do this work ourselves, and I am not inclined to do so,” he wrote.

Trump subsequently explained that his endorsement reflected his longstanding relationship with Netanyahu and his desire to continue their cooperation.

Vance’s decision to withhold an endorsement comes against a backdrop of disagreements between the vice president and Netanyahu over American policy toward Iran.

During a podcast appearance earlier this year, Vance alleged that elements within the Israeli government had financed efforts to undermine US diplomatic initiatives aimed at ending the conflict with Tehran.

The issue reportedly arose during a subsequent meeting between the two leaders in Washington, although Vance rejected suggestions that Netanyahu had confronted him angrily.

“He didn’t confront me. We had a nice and frank conversation,” Vance said in August.

The vice president acknowledged that Washington and Jerusalem sometimes disagree, while reaffirming Israel’s status as an American ally.

“As I’ve said repeatedly, Israel has been a great partner. They’re an ally of the United States of America,” he said.

Despite those previous disagreements, Vance has not attributed his refusal to endorse Netanyahu to their differences over Iran, instead presenting it as a broader decision to stay out of foreign electoral contests.