Israel holds parliamentary elections on October 27

Donald Trump has made his choice, but his own vice president is refusing to follow. With Israel's election just days away, Trump has given Benjamin Netanyahu his complete and total endorsement, calling him a great warrior and a partner for peace. But then came an extraordinary warning. Trump suggested that without Netanyahu, America could be left to confront Iran alone. A president endorsing a foreign leader is one thing. Linking that endorsement to American security commitments raises another question entirely. And then there's J.D. Vance. Asked whether he too endorsed Netanyahu, the vice president declined. He said he only endorses American candidates. But hold on, this is the same Vance who campaigned for Viktor Orbán in Hungary. So what changed? Vance has also questioned Israel's approach to Iran, warning against American policy becoming subservient to another country's interests. Trump, meanwhile, has chosen to make Netanyahu's political future a matter of public American endorsement. The two men are not necessarily at odds over Israel's security, but their approaches to its election are clearly different. And that distinction matters because Israelis are voting for their own government, not Washington's preferred partner. The United States can't support Israel's security without deciding who should lead it. And when a president and vice president take different public positions, the world is entitled to ask, is this a difference in principle, a difference in political calculation, or simply two leaders drawing the line in different places? And that's the verdict.