‘We have some other friends, like India’: Netanyahu pushes back on Vance’s ‘only ally’ remark

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'We have some other friends, like India': Netanyahu pushes back on Vance's 'only ally' remark

PM Netanyahu pushes back on JD Vance's "only ally" remark, citing India's support amid tensions over Lebanon strikes and the US-Iran peace deal.

3 min readJul 6, 2026 05:52 AM IST

First published on: Jul 6, 2026 at 05:52 AM IST

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (File Photo)

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pushed back against US Vice President JD Vance’s claim that Washington is Israel’s only powerful ally, telling Fox News that Israel counts on support from partners well beyond the United States, including India. The remarks came amid rising friction between the two allies over Israel’s operations in Lebanon and the US-brokered peace agreement with Iran.

Netanyahu cites India support

Responding to Vance’s comments, Netanyahu told Fox News, “We have some other friends, like a small country called India. It has 1.4 billion people, and boy, do we have tremendous support there.”

Netanyahu said he maintains a good relationship with Vance despite their disagreements. “He and I have a very good relationship, but that doesn’t mean I agree with everything he says,” he said, adding that no rift exists between him and President Trump, whom he called “the greatest friend we ever had in the White House.”

Netanyahu:

We have some other friends, like a small country called India.

It has 1.4 billion people, uh, and boy, do we have tremendous support there?

This Facebook thing, and I'm just flooded by by these, by the overwhelming support there, and we have many others.

Many…

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 5, 2026

Iran deal remains a point of tension

Vance had defended the peace agreement with Iran, saying it was designed to end months of conflict, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and lay the groundwork for broader regional negotiations. He reminded Israeli leaders of Washington’s military support, noting that two-thirds of Israel’s defensive weapons had been “built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.”

“The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump, and 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,” Vance said.

Differences over Lebanon

Vance also criticized recent Israeli strikes in Lebanon, warning they risked undermining delicate negotiations between Washington and Tehran. “Israel has the right to defend itself, but fundamentally the Israelis, just like everybody else, have to respect this peace process that is fundamentally good for them and good for the entire region,” he said.

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He added that Trump grows frustrated when diplomatic progress is followed by violence. “We seem to be right on the cusp of a major breakthrough in the agreement, and then all of a sudden, there’s a major explosion that goes off in a civilian population centre in Beirut, and a lot of people who have nothing to do with Hezbollah lose their lives. That’s not acceptable,” Vance said, adding that “both sides have to honour their end of the deal.”

Netanyahu defended Israel’s continued military presence in southern Lebanon, saying Christian villages in the area “have actually asked to be annexed to Israel because we protect them against Hezbollah fanatics who want to kill them.” He said, “If you want to have peace, you better be able to protect yourself against those who want to annihilate you.”

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# Benjamin Netanyahu

# JD Vance

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