He Doth Protest Too Much
JD Vance: "We don't want Israel to be a Vassal State" | WATCH
U.S.-Israel Base Sets Unprecedented Tone in Gaza Ceasefire Oversight
The joint U.S.-Israeli base in Kiryat Gat, tasked with overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, has taken on an unprecedented role, with American officials reportedly setting much of the operational tone.
During a press session, an Israeli journalist Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance whether Israel had become a “puppet state” of the U.S.
Netanyahu dismissed the suggestion: “One week people say the U.S. controls Israel, the next week they say Israel controls the U.S. This is hogwash. We have a partnership, an alliance of partners who share common values and common goals. We can have discussions, we can have disagreements here and there, but on the whole, I have to say then the past year we've had agreement agreement not only on goals, but how to reach them.
And I think we're pursuing them successfully. We've been able to do two things: Put the knife at the Hamas' throat. That was the military effort guided by Israel. And the other effort was to isolate Hamas in the Arab and Muslim world, which I think the president did brilliantly with this team. So those two things produced the hostages."
JD commented, "We want a partnership, we want an ally here. And the president believes very strongly that Israel, with our Gulf Arab allies, can play a very positive leadership role in this region to where frankly, the United States can care less about the Middle East because our allies in the region are stepping up and taking control and taking ownership of their area of the world.
Now, that doesn't mean we don't have interest here. That doesn't mean we don't care about what happens here, but we actually see this as an opportunity to build on the Abraham Accords. I think this Gaza deal is a critical piece of unlocking the Abraham Accords, but what it could allow is an alliance structure in the Middle East that perseveres, that endures, and then allows the good people in this region, the world to step up and take ownership of their own backyard that's in the United States' best interest.
The discussion followed reports that several countries are considering sending troops to Gaza, including Turkey, a proposal Israel strongly opposes. Netanyahu stated, “I have a very clear opinion on this: Israel will decide for itself.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Remarks in Joint Statements with US Vice President J.D. Vance at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem:
"A few days ago, we had a historic visit by President Trump that will be etched in the annals of our nation. Today, we have the honor to host Vice President J.D. Vance, and I want to say a few things to you about that.
First, in the past year, we have had an alliance and partnership with the United States that is unparalleled. This is changing the Middle East and also the world. It creates opportunities not only for security, but also for expanding peace, something we are working on with great vigor. And it's simply something without parallel. I have been in this environment for quite a few years. I have worked with different administrations in the United States. I am grateful for the partnership and assistance we have received, but there has never been anything like this, and President Trump said so.
This is a partnership that has never existed before.
This includes a close circle on both the Israeli side and the American side. President Trump knows whom he chooses to be part of this circle. One of the members in this circle is the Vice President, and that's an understatement. We had the opportunity to make decisions together in a close partnership and with great trust, and I was impressed. I was impressed by your clarity, sharpness, solidarity for our common goal, and genuine friendship that I saw in both conference meetings and also in private meetings.
And in this spirit, I warmly welcome you to Jerusalem in these fateful days. We are changing the face of the Middle East. And I meant to say: Bring your family 'next year in Jerusalem,' but welcome this year in Jerusalem, our great friend, J.D. Vance."
US Vice President J.D. Vance's Remarks:
"Thank you, Prime Minister. Thank you to the entire team for hosting us here. As the Prime Minister said, these are fateful days and we are very excited to sit and work together on the peace plan for Gaza.
We have a very difficult task ahead of us, which is to disarm Hamas but rebuild Gaza; to improve the lives of Gaza's residents but also to ensure that Hamas no longer poses a threat to our friends in Israel. It's not easy. I think the Prime Minister knows this like anyone else. But it's something we are committed to in the Trump administration.
I think that even in the last 24 hours, we have had many good conversations with our friends in the Israeli government, but also, to be honest, with our friends in the Arab world who are interested in playing a very positive role in this. Therefore, we will continue to work on this.
I didn't know what to expect, honestly. I know the President was here last week to welcome the hostages home and to sign the agreement. A week later, there is a lot of work to do but I feel optimistic about where we stand.
Thank you for your partnership. Thank you for your willingness to continue working on this. And I think we will do great things here. It's not going to be easy. I know there are people in the media who I think are against this proposal. But I think we have an opportunity to do something truly historic. So we will continue to work on this with all our friends in the Israeli government. Thank you very much for hosting us here."