US Vice President JD Vance on Monday appeared to deny a report that he had decided against visiting Israel this week in order not to signal Washington’s support for Jerusalem’s expanded military operations in Gaza.
Following Hebrew media reports that US Vice President JD Vance was considering a trip to Israel, a senior US official told Axios Monday the visit was ultimately scrapped due to the escalation of Israel’s military operation.
However, Vance told reporters that while he had thought about making the trip after attending the new pope’s confirmation ceremony in Rome on Sunday, he decided against it for logistical reasons.
“Logistically, it was just a little bit too hard on basic things like, who the hell is going to take care of our kids if we take another couple of days overseas?” he quipped, before noting that there were other logistical concerns.
“I’m sure we’ll visit Israel sometime in the future, but not today,” Vance said.
The senior US official told Axios that Vance decided not to come “because he didn’t want his trip to suggest the Trump administration endorsed the Israeli decision to launch a massive operation at a time when the US is pushing for a ceasefire and hostage deal.”
Hebrew media reported Sunday that talks were underway to coordinate a visit, with Channel 12 suggesting Tuesday as the likely date. However, a White House official denied those reports, saying that “logistical constraints have precluded an extension of his travel beyond Rome.”
“Media reports that the vice president will visit Israel are false,” the official said, clarifying that while contingency plans had been discussed, “no additional visits were at any point decided upon.”
The timing of the possible visit coincided with a new phase in Israel’s Gaza campaign — dubbed “Gideon’s Chariots” — and renewed, yet faltering, ceasefire and hostage negotiations in Doha.
Israel had warned Hamas that it would launch the campaign if no headway was made in negotiations by the time Trump ended his regional trip, which skipped Israel.
A visit to Israel would have been Vance’s first, and may have softened concerns from Israeli officials that Washington is sidelining Jerusalem in its regional diplomacy.
Vance is considered a leading isolationist among the Republicans. Last October, during an interview, he said that while Israel has the right to defend itself, “America’s interest is sometimes going to be distinct.”
Trump visited the Middle East last week, stopping in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and sparking concerns that Israel was being left out of Washington’s regional diplomatic initiatives as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government continues the war in Gaza.
Asked Saturday by Fox News if he was frustrated by the Israeli prime minister, Trump responded: “No, look, he’s got a tough situation. You have to remember, there was October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent days in the history of the world — not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes.”
Nava Freiberg contributed to this report.