US President Joe Biden called Israel’s new Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to congratulate him on the inauguration of the county’s new government. Biden also “highlighted his decades of steadfast support for the U.S.-Israel relationship and his unwavering commitment to Israel’s security,” according to a readout of Sunday night’s call issued by the White House. The call came less than three hours after the new government was sworn in.
Biden and Bennett agreed that the US and Israel would “consult closely on all matters related to regional security, including Iran.” In addition, Biden said that his administration “intends to work closely with the Israeli government on efforts to advance peace, security, and prosperity for Israelis and Palestinians.”
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Bennett thanked Biden for his support for Israel during the recent Gaza operation, according to a statement issued by his office. Bennett also said that he considers Biden a “great friend of the State of Israel.”
Also on Sunday night, Israel’s new Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, who also serves as the prime minister-designate, spoke with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The two men “discussed the U.S. commitment to Israel’s security, the importance of maintaining a cessation of hostilities, opportunities to deepen and broaden normalization of diplomatic relations, the threat posed by Iran, and other regional priorities,” according to US State Department Spokesman Ned Price. Blinken invited Lapid to visit Washington.