Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday cited support from India, countering American Vice President J D Vance’s remarks that the US was its sole powerful ally “anywhere left in the entire world.”
Netanyahu told the ‘Fox News Sunday Briefing’ that Israel has the support of many other countries, including “a small country called India.”
“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 added that he receives many supportive messages from people in India on social media. “This Facebook thing, and I’m just flooded by by these, by the overwhelming support there, and we have many others,” he said.
Netanyahu also said leaders from other countries regularly contact him to express support privately, even if they face pressure from public opinion at home. According to him, they also seek closer cooperation with Israel on defence, artificial intelligence and cyber technology.
“Many leaders call me up and say, hey, look, I’ve got this problem with public opinion, but I want you to know we respect you… Can we make some deals, and can you teach us some of the things that your military does?” he added.
His comments come weeks after Vance criticised Israeli officials who had spoken against US President Donald Trump’s interim deal with Iran.
During a White House briefing last month, Vance said, “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
