US vice president rejects claims of Israeli influence over Washington

US Vice President JD Vance dismissed the suggestion that Israel was controlling US foreign policy — or the president himself — during an appearance at a university event in Mississippi.

He was directly questioned about whether Washington’s policies toward Israel represented a conflict of interest during a university event on October 29, prompting him to defend the US-Israel relationship and reject claims that Israel wields undue influence over US leadership.

Israel does not “control this president,” Vance said in response to a student, as reported by US media outlets.

He was asked why the United States continues to provide significant financial and military support to Israel amid its ongoing operations in Gaza, which the student described as “ethnic cleansing.” The student also questioned how such support aligned with the two nations’ religious and cultural differences.

In his response, Vance emphasized that maintaining an “America First” foreign policy does not mean abandoning alliances entirely. “Sometimes Israel has similar interests to the US and we will work with them, and sometimes they don’t,” he said.

Vance also noted that President Donald Trump’s proposed Gaza deal could “only get done by actually applying leverage to Israel.”

“So when people say that Israel is somehow manipulating or controlling the president of the United States, they are not controlling this president of the United States, which is one of the reasons why we have been able to have some of the success we have had in the Middle East,” he added.

Vance went on to acknowledge that there are “significant theological disagreements” between Jews and Christians, but said both sides could cooperate to preserve and protect holy sites in Israel.

The vice president’s remarks came during an event hosted by Turning Point USA, the country’s largest conservative youth organization. The group was founded by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, whose recent assassination during a public debate at another university sparked hefty outrage among conservative supporters and renewed debate over what they describe as “radical-leftist” political violence.

Erika Kirk, the late activist’s widow and the new leader of Turning Point USA, also attended the event alongside Vance.

By Nazrin Sadigova