Trump picks pro-Israeli Senator JD Vance as vice president

Former US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he had selected Ohio Senator JD Vance as his vice presidential running mate.

Vance is known for his "America First" foreign policy and his support for Israel.

Earlier this year, Vance distinguished his opposition to Ukraine aid from his strong backing of Israel.

“I support Israel and their campaign against Hamas. I also admire the Ukrainians fighting against Russia, but I believe it's not in America’s interest to continue funding what seems like an endless conflict in Ukraine,” Vance said. “It’s odd to equate Israel and Ukraine as similar issues. They're fundamentally different, and we should analyze them separately.”

Vance described Israel as “one of the most dynamic and technologically advanced countries in the world”.

Jewish Insider characterised Vance as putting a "pro-Israel spin on the America First worldview” in his speech.

In an interview with CNN, Vance endorsed Israel's military actions in Gaza.

“Hamas initiated the conflict and now uses Palestinian civilians as shields. To learn from the past 40 years, our priority should be to dismantle Hamas as a military force,” he said. “You can't eliminate Hamas's ideology, but you can eliminate their commanders and military units, and I believe Israel should be empowered to do so.”