Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected US Vice President JD Vance's claim that the US is Israel's only powerful ally.
Netanyahu highlighted India as a major friend with 1.4 billion people and tremendous support for Israel.
The diplomatic exchange follows JD Vance's rebuke of the Israeli cabinet for criticizing Donald Trump's Iran peace deal.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu countered US Vice President JD Vance's claim that the US is Israel's 'only powerful ally' by highlighting India's support during a Fox News interview.
"We have some other friends, like a small country called India, you know, it has 1.4 billion people and, boy, do we have tremendous support there," Netanyahu said.
He also cited overwhelming backing on social media. "You know, I have this Facebook thing, and I have overwhelming support there," he added.
Earlier this year, Netanyahu referred to Modi as a "personal friend" and called India a "global power". Modi paid a state visit to Israel in February 2026. During the visit, Modi said that India stood with Israel "firmly with full conviction". The visit occurred two days before the US-Israel surprise attack on Iran.
Vance Rebukes Israeli Cabinet
Vance had rebuked the Israeli government following reports of Israeli criticism regarding President Donald Trump's deal to end the Iran war.
"Donald Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time...If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have left, anywhere in the entire world," Vance said.
The US Vice President also remarked that most of the weapons protecting Israel for the past three months were manufactured in the US and funded by American taxpayers.
Netanyahu responded to the remarks, saying that while he holds Vance in high regard and that they enjoy a good working relationship, he does not agree with everything he says.
Tensions Over Iran Deal
The US-Iran 'Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding' which was signed on June 17, 2026 established an immediate halt to hostilities, lifted the US naval blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, waived oil sanctions and set a 60-day window to negotiate a final nuclear accord and a $300bn reconstruction fund.
The agreements reception in Israel was mostly negative with far-right cabinet members Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich condemning the deal as "bad for Israel". According to local media reports, they argued the agreement fails to dismantle Iran's nuclear facilities and undermines efforts against Hezbollah.
The ceasefire holds as of July 6, 2026. However, technical negotiations in Switzerland have been delayed by continued border clashes in southern Lebanon.
According to The Times of Israel, Trump and Netanyahu agreed during a phone call on July 3, 2026 to meet in the United States in the near future.
Trump and Netanyahu Rift
An Axios report last month, indicated Trump referred to Netanyahu as "f**king crazy". The report said that the US President accused Netanyahu of being ungrateful while peace negotiations with Iran were underway as Israel continued to target Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Trump has publicly criticised Netanyahu in recent weeks as Israel's war with Hezbollah in Lebanon threatened the peace talks with Iran.
When asked about a possible meeting between the two leaders Trump said that they get along well and that the Israeli Prime Minister knows who the boss is.
"We get along very good. [Netanyahu] knows who the boss is," Trump told Axios.
