Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pointed to India's support for Israel after US Vice President JD Vance suggested he would be cautious about criticising Washington, calling America the "only powerful ally" Israel has left in the world.
In a video interview, 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."
Asked about his reaction to the remark, Netanyahu said he respected Vance and shared a good relationship with him, but did not necessarily agree with everything he said.
He reiterated his praise for US President Donald Trump, saying he was "the greatest friend we ever had in the White House," and said he stood by that view completely.
Netanyahu then turned to India, describing it as "a small country" with 1.4 billion people, and said Israel received "tremendous support" from the country. He said he was flooded with support from Indians on Facebook, and added that Israel had "many others" backing it as well.
Netanyahu:
— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 5, 2026
We have some other friends, like a small country called India.
It has 1.4 billion people, uh, and boy, do we have tremendous support there?
This Facebook thing, and I'm just flooded by by these, by the overwhelming support there, and we have many others.
Many…
The Israeli prime minister went on to argue that global perceptions of Israel's standing were misleading, given that media and social media in many countries were "inundated with anti-Israel, anti-Semitic" material.
He said several world leaders privately reached out to him despite public pressure at home, telling him they respected Israel and were keen to strike deals, learn from its military capabilities, and access its expertise in artificial intelligence and cyber security.
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Netanyahu noted that Israel was ranked the second-best country in cyber security globally, and said its technology was highly regarded internationally.
He concluded that Israel's actual diplomatic relationships were stronger than public perception suggested, saying the country had "many, many friends" despite the criticism it faced in some quarters.
The remarks come amid continuing scrutiny of Israel's international standing following the conflict with Iran and its ongoing military actions, with Netanyahu using the platform to underline what he described as strong, if sometimes quiet, backing from countries including India, alongside the United States under the Trump administration.
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