A comment by US Vice President JD Vance has raised concern in Tel Aviv and prompted questions about whether gaps with President Donald Trump’s administration could widen.
JD Vance wrote in a post on the X platform that “There is a difference between not liking Israel, or disagreeing with a given Israeli policy, and antisemitism.”
His remarks led to questions in Tel Aviv about the direction of US policy and whether Israeli and American interests could clash in the near future.
Anna Barsky, political correspondent for the Maariv newspaper, spoke about the issue in an interview on Radio Tzafon 104.5FM.
She said the message was worrying for Tel Aviv. “This is a major warning sign for Israel. Vance wrote that disliking Israel or criticising it should not be linked to antisemitism. These are not just passing remarks. When they come from the Vice President of the United States, they should be taken seriously,” she said.
Barsky also referred to a common view in Israel, especially among some right-wing circles, about the Trump administration. “There was an assumption that it was fully pro-Israel, to the point of fulfilling the dreams of the right,” she said, adding that there were now signs that this approach might begin to change.