JD Vance Snubs Netanyahu as Israel Ramps Up War on Gaza

Vice President JD Vance has reportedly decided to skip visiting Israel on Tuesday due to the country launching a massive operation to expand its massacre of Gaza.

Axios, citing a senior U.S. official, reported Monday that Vance didn’t want to visit Israel because he didn’t want his trip to indicate that the Trump administration was endorsing Israel’s expanded operation at the same time that the White House is trying to push for a ceasefire and hostage deal. Officially, Vance says that “logistical” issues prevent the trip from taking place.

But Vance’s snub of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, coupled with President Donald Trump’s decision not to visit Israel during his Middle East trip last week, suggest that the White House isn’t happy with Netanyahu’s decisions regarding Gaza right now. Netanyahu is stubbornly refusing any agreements to end Israel’s 19-month war on the Palestinian territory, which has caused a human rights catastrophe.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff has been pressing Israel and Hamas to accept an updated proposal for a ceasefire deal that would free the remaining hostages in Gaza. But, Israel has begun mobilizing troops for Operation Gideon’s Chariots, which would forcibly displace two million Palestinians from the territory in a shocking display of ethnic cleansing.

For now, Israel has resumed allowing humanitarian aid into Gaza after two months, responding to pressure from the Trump administration and Europe. Trump even said last week that “a lot of people are starving” in Gaza, a rare acknowledgement of the humanitarian crisis Israel has caused in the territory.

That crisis only continues to worsen as Israel now seeks to begin wider ground operations in Gaza. More than 53,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since October 2023, which is very likely an undercount, with nearly 3,200 killed since Israel resumed airstrikes in March following a brief ceasefire. This doesn’t include people dying due to famine and starvation caused by Israel’s aid restrictions. It’s going to take a lot more than a missed visit to end the onslaught.