US President Joe Biden phoned Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday evening (Israel time) to congratulate him on his victory in last week’s Knesset elections. The call lasted eight minutes, according to Netanyahu’s office.
הנשיא ביידן התקשר ובירך אותי על הניצחון בבחירות ואמר שהברית בין ישראל לארה״ב איתנה מתמיד. הודיתי לנשיא ביידן על ידידותו האישית שחובקת 40 שנה בינינו ועל המחויבות שלו למדינת ישראל. אמרתי לו שבכוחנו להשיג הסכמי שלום נוספים וגם להתמודד עם האיום של התקופנות האיראנית.
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 7, 2022
In announcing the call, Netanyahu quoted Biden as saying the alliance between Israel and the US is ‘stronger than ever.’
“I thanked President Biden for his personal friendship that spans 40 years between us and for his commitment to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
“I told him that it is within our power to obtain additional peace agreements and also to deal with the threat of Iranian aggression,” he added.
Biden waited nearly a full week to make the call, following the leaders of France and the United Kingdom who preceded him in offering their congratulations.
The president’s call came on the eve of America’s Election Day, possibly timed to remind American Jews — many of whom are members of the Democratic party but who may have been mulling a move to the GOP this time around — that US relations with Israel are still valued by his party and his administration.
Hana Julian contributed to this report.
