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New Delhi : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has underlined India’s growing importance in Israel’s global partnerships, calling it a country that offers “tremendous support” while pushing back against US Vice President JD Vance’s claim that America is Israel’s “only powerful ally.”
In an interview with Fox News, Netanyahu acknowledged the United States as Israel’s closest defence partner but stressed that Israel enjoys strong backing from other nations as well. Pointing to India, he said, “We have some other friends, like a small country called India. It has 1.4 billion people and, boy, do we have tremendous support there.” He also highlighted the overwhelming support he sees from Indian users on social media.
The remarks come amid deepening India-Israel ties, with the two countries expanding cooperation in defence, technology, agriculture, innovation and trade. Earlier this year, Netanyahu described Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “personal friend” and called India a “global power,” reaffirming the strategic partnership between the two nations.
Netanyahu’s comments followed JD Vance’s assertion that the United States remains Israel’s only powerful ally, crediting Washington—and President Donald Trump—for providing critical military support during recent conflicts. While expressing respect for Vance, Netanyahu said he did not fully agree with that assessment.
The Israeli leader argued that countries across the world are increasingly looking to partner with Israel in defence technology, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, reflecting Israel’s expanding global influence.
His remarks also come amid reports of policy differences between the US and Israel over regional security and the Iran conflict. Despite these differences, Washington remains Israel’s closest strategic and defence partner, while India continues to emerge as one of Jerusalem’s most trusted friends on the global stage.
