Former Israeli Ambassador to the US, Alon Pinkas, stated that US Vice President JD Vance's public criticism of Israel's undermining of US-Iran negotiations was "unprecedented in its severity." Pinkas said, "Never before has a sitting US vice president so publicly accused Israel of launching a campaign aimed at undermining US policy. While there have been disagreements and frictions in the past, it is truly unprecedented for a sitting vice president to so vehemently, explicitly, and bluntly oppose Israeli lobbying and pressure against the US… It's quite shocking." Pinkas pointed out that this incident demonstrates a current disconnect between the US and Israel's positions. He added that the escalating friction between allies over the war in Iraq is extremely worrying from Israel's perspective and reflects a "structural shift" in the relationship between the two countries.
Equally unprecedented was the vote of half of the Democratic members of Congress to end aid to Israel. Two years ago, any person in Washington would have asserted that it was impossible—but this vote clearly reflects a significant shift in the Democratic Party. Of the 212 Democrats in the House of Representatives, 103 voted to cancel the $3.3 billion annual aid to Israel. Only one Republican followed the Democrats in voting in favor. Therefore, the real focus is on how Trump will respond. He is believed to have spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu last week, stating that it was time for Israeli troops to withdraw from Lebanon and Syria. However, the Israeli Defense Minister subsequently publicly stated his refusal to withdraw. Faced with this stance that almost blatantly defies the president's wishes, how will the White House respond? The answer may soon be revealed.
