JD Vance turns on Israeli allies who are criticizing Trump's Iran deal: 'Wake up and smell reality'

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 06:49, 19 June 2026 | Updated: 06:55, 19 June 2026 JD Vance slammed Israeli critics of Donald Trump's deal with Iran, saying they need to 'wake up and smell the reality.' The Vice President publicly scolded members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet who have been vocal about their disappointment with the newly minted deal. The signing of the accord this week was intended to end the conflict in Iran, reopen the Strait of Hormuz and begin a 60-day period for talks on wider issues, including Tehran's nuclear program.  But critics in Israel publicly questioned how seriously Iran would approach the negotiations now that the US has removed economic and military pressure. On Thursday Vance issued an extraordinary rebuke, warning Israeli critics not to alienate their 'only powerful ally' left in the world. Vance told members of Netanyahu's cabinet to 'wake up and smell the reality,' amid growing tensions between Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump. 'Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who's sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,' Vance said during a White House press briefing.  '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.'  JD Vance slammed Israeli critics of Donald Trump's deal with Iran, saying they need to 'wake up and smell the reality' Vance told members of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet not to alienate the US as an ally He added: 'Anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.'  While Netanyahu has been careful not to openly criticize this week's ceasefire deal, some members of his cabinet have been more outspoken. Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who leads a small ultranationalist party, this week declared that Israel is not 'bound' by Trump's agreement and said it would not cave in to international pressure.  Vance also had choice words for him and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, calling out both politicians for attacking the deal in an interview with the New York Times. 'I guess my response to them would be - what is your exact proposal? You're a country of nine million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have,' Vance told the Times. He credited Netanyahu for not personally criticizing the deal, but explicitly raised the huge amounts of military aid that the United States gives Israel, its key ally in the Middle East. The two countries jointly launched the war on Iran on February 28 but Trump has chastised Israel for continuing attacks on Lebanon that threatened to derail the deal with Tehran. 'Over the last three months, two-thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars,' Vance added. Vance directly named Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir (pictured) and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich as having attacked the deal Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian holds a document showing a memorandum of understanding he signed to end the Middle East war The Daily Mail reached out to the White House and Netanyahu's office for comment. Trump has also been increasingly critical of the high death toll from Israeli attacks, particularly on the Hezbollah militia in Lebanon. 'When two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don't have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly they could do a better job,' Trump said in a press conference at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday. In recent days, the president has expressed frustration with Netanyahu, claimed credit for Israel's existence and has described the Israeli leader as 'crazy.' Trump on Thursday urged Israel and other Middle Eastern countries to stick to the truce. 'We expect a complete ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel. Thank you for your attention to this matter!' Trump said on his Truth Social network. Israel and the US jointly launched the war against Iran on February 28, closely coordinating the more than monthlong military operation.  But disagreements quickly emerged following a preliminary April 8 ceasefire agreement, with Netanyahu pushing to continue the campaign and Trump moving to wind down a war that was deeply unpopular in the US and rattled the global economy.  Trump signs a Memorandum of Understanding between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America Trump with Macron at Chateau de Versailles before signing the deal Furthermore, Netanyahu's government was not shown the memorandum of understanding drafted to end the war, an Israeli government official told NBC News.  Yair Lapid, the leader of Israel's opposition, said: 'Netanyahu promised us a historic victory – and we got a crisis with the Americans, Hormuz open to the Iranians, money for the Revolutionary Guards, ballistic missiles aimed at Israel, and Israel waiting in the corridor like a scolded child.' However, some in Israel had a more positive outlook, with Danny Citrinowicz, a former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence, saying the deal showed reality had 'finally returned to US policy on Iran.' 'Before events spiraled completely out of control, the US administration stepped back from maximalist objectives and returned to a more measured and realistic approach,' Citrinowicz said on Wednesday. In his first comments on the newly signed memorandum of understanding, Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel's military will stay in a zone of territory it is occupying in southern Lebanon 'as long as Israel's security needs require it.'  The comments threatened to undermine the deal, which calls for a halt in all fighting and respect for Lebanon's territorial integrity. Netanyahu, however, noted it was important 'to maintain the important relationship with our American friends who fought shoulder to shoulder with us, and we greatly appreciate that.' 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