With his own midterm elections one week later, President Donald Trump has given Netanyahu his endorsement as the Israeli prime minister faces a tough re-election challenge Tuesday.
As reported on AFN, Israel is facing its first national election since the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.
When Vice President JD Vance was asked about a Netanyahu endorsement during an interview on Air Force Two, he refused to commit.
Vance: “The president has the most effective endorsement in American or international political history. I endorse American candidates, and that's where I'm focused on is the midterm. I’m not getting involved in the Israeli election.”
Interviewer: “So you don't want to say one way or the other whether you...”
Vance: “I’m not anti-endorsing it. I'm not pro-endorsing it. I'm not getting involved in Israeli elections.”
John Stover, president of Ohio Value Voters, disagrees with the vice president’s decision.
“I would certainly disagree with the vice president or anyone within the Trump administration that’s not going to be supportive of Israel and the issues that they deal with in the Middle East,” Stover states.
He doesn't rule out the chance that Vance might have a change of heart.
“I would say that I’m hopeful that the vice president’s position will change and that he will, in fact, as President Trump has, support not only the state of Israel but also Netanyahu,” Stover says.
Furthermore, he believes that loyalty to the Jewish State is going to be a big question for Republicans looking at 2028.
“I’m hopeful that we would not find any Republican that’s running for the office of president that would be against the nation of Israel and our current support and certainly getting behind Israel when it comes to Iran and any other rogue nation that is interested in seeing their demise,” Stover states.
