Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — one of President Trump’s closest personal allies overseas — joined the growing chorus yesterday of international leaders congratulating Joseph R. Biden for his projected election victory.
“Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris,” Netanyahu wrote in a tweet, expressing warm wishes both to Biden and to Kamala Harris, the first ever woman projected to become U.S. vice president.
“Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel,” the Israeli prime minister wrote.
Netanyahu, who also opened a video conference of Israeli cabinet meeting yesterday by congratulating Biden and Harris, separately tweeted his gratitude to President Trump.
“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognising Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights,” Netanyahu wrote.
The mention of Jerusalem was a reference to the Trump administration’s recognition of the divided holy city as Israel’s capital by moving the American embassy there from Tel Aviv in 2018. The mention of Golan was a reference to the administration’s 2019 proclamation recognising the disputed Golan Heights region as being under Israeli — not Syrian — sovereignty.
