Vance, Netanyahu hold direct talks amid policy differences, Axios reports

Published 31 Jul, 2026 01:34pm 2 min read

US Vice President JD Vance and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a one-on-one meeting in Washington on Tuesday during which they discussed their differences in what US and Israeli officials described as a frank and direct conversation, Axios reported.

According to Axios, a senior Israeli official said Netanyahu raised Vance’s recent criticism of the Israeli government and Israel’s standing among Republicans during the meeting at Blair House.

“It was a frank and candid conversation,” the Israeli official told Axios.

A US official also described the meeting to Axios as “direct.”

US official told the that Vance and Netanyahu had a “cordial and productive conversation” about Middle East issues important to both countries.

“The Vice President and the Prime Minister agreed to continue pursuing opportunities for Israel and the United States to cooperate in areas of mutual interest and shared goals,” the official told Axios, adding that the meeting was not confrontational and that the two leaders maintained a productive working relationship.

According to Axios, the meeting came amid tensions between Vance and Netanyahu over the war and US policy toward Iran. The report said Netanyahu had been unhappy with Vance’s public criticism of the Israeli government, while Vance had accused Netanyahu of stoking opposition to a US-Iran memorandum of understanding and questioned his loyalty to President Donald Trump.

Axios also reported that Vance has publicly defended diplomacy with Iran and warned members of the Israeli government against attacking the agreement, arguing that Washington’s objective should be to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon without becoming involved in a prolonged military conflict.

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