Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Donald Trump on Wednesday, becoming one of the first world leaders to congratulate the U.S. president-elect.
Wednesday morning’s phone conversation, which lasted some 20 minutes, was described as “warm and cordial.” The two men were said to have “agreed to work together for Israel’s security and discussed the Iranian threat.”
Netanyahu’s call came as CNN cited sources saying that the Trump campaign is keeping tabs on which world leaders reach out and when.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Israeli premier hailed Trump’s “historic return” to the White House in a post on X. The Republican candidate’s win “offers a new beginning for America and a powerful recommitment to the great alliance between Israel and America,” Netanyahu wrote.
Netanyahu reconnected with Trump on July 4, in what was reportedly their first conversation since U.S. President Joe Biden was sworn into office in January 2021. Trump has often said that he felt slighted when the Israeli leader congratulated Biden for winning the 2020 election.
Also on Wednesday, Ofir Akunis, Jerusalem’s consul general in New York, released a video statement congratulating Trump on the win.
“Congratulations, President-elect Donald Trump. The American people have made their decision heard in the largest democracy in the world,” Akunis said. “We will continue to stand together on behalf of the shared interests of America, Israel and the free world, just as we did in the past.”
The Republican was the overwhelming favorite to win the White House on Wednesday after being declared the winner of several swing states overnight. Fox News was the first to call the race, at 1:48 a.m. Eastern Time, prompting Trump to give a victory speech in Florida, with the Associated Press and The New York Times declaring him the victor several hours later.
