Vance meets Netanyahu in Jerusalem as Gaza ceasefire shows signs of strain
Vice President JD Vance met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday, October 22, as the Trump administration works to prevent the fragile Gaza ceasefire from collapsing just twelve days after it took effect.
The visit comes amid growing concerns within the Trump administration that Netanyahu might abandon the U.S.-brokered agreement. According to sources familiar with the matter, some officials have described the effort as “Bibisitting,” reflecting worries that Israel’s leader could undermine the truce that has already been tested by renewed violence.
“I never said it was going to be easy. But I remain optimistic that the ceasefire will hold and that we can really build a better future for the entire Middle East,” Vance stated during his meeting with Netanyahu.
The ceasefire has faced significant challenges since its implementation. Over the weekend, Israel accused Hamas of conducting an attack that killed two IDF soldiers, prompting Israeli airstrikes in Gaza that claimed numerous Palestinian lives. Both sides have accused each other of violating the agreement, though both have reaffirmed their commitment to the truce.
Partnership, not protectorate
During the public portion of their meeting, both Vance and Netanyahu pushed back against characterizations of Israel as a U.S. client state. Netanyahu called such suggestions “hogwash,” emphasizing that the two nations maintain a partnership based on shared values and common goals.
“We don’t want a vassal state, and that’s not what Israel is,” Vance said. “We don’t want a client state, and that’s not what Israel is. We want a partnership. We want an ally here.”
Netanyahu acknowledged that while the countries can have disagreements, they have shown “agreement not only on goals but how to reach them” over the past year. He credited Israel’s military efforts with “putting the knife at Hamas’s throat” while praising President Trump’s work to isolate Hamas in the Arab and Muslim world.
Turkish forces question
The vice president’s visit focused partly on the second phase of President Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which requires Hamas to disarm and envisions the establishment of an International Stabilization Force to train Palestinian police. On Tuesday, Vance suggested Turkey could play a “constructive role” in this next phase.
However, Netanyahu appeared to reject any significant Turkish involvement. Relations between the NATO ally and Israel have deteriorated sharply during the Gaza conflict, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vocally condemning Israeli military actions across the region.
“The president believes that Israel, with our Gulf Arab allies, can play a very positive leadership role in this region,” Vance said, “to where frankly the United States can care less about the Middle East because our allies in the region are stepping up, and taking control and taking ownership of their area of the world.”
High-level attention
Vance’s trip represents the third high-level visit from the Trump administration in recent weeks, following President Trump’s own visit and ongoing discussions by Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. The frequency of these visits underscores U.S. concerns about the ceasefire’s durability.
When asked about characterizations of the visits as monitoring Netanyahu, Vance pushed back on the comparison. “It’s not monitoring in the sense of, you know, you monitor a toddler,” he said, instead framing the visits as ensuring that American personnel on the ground have the support of top administration officials.
Meanwhile, Israel identified two more hostages whose remains were returned from Gaza. Among those recently freed was 85-year-old Arye Zalmanovich, the oldest hostage captured during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks. The return of hostages remains a central component of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
The ceasefire’s success or failure could have significant implications for regional stability and Trump’s broader Middle East strategy, which aims to normalize relations between Israel and Arab states while addressing the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.