President Obama called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday afternoon to congratulate him on winning reelection, the White House said.
{mosads}The call comes two days after Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud Party won a plurality of seats in Israel’s parliament, paving the way for him to form a governing coalition.
Obama and Netanyahu have frequently clashed since both took office in 2009.
The White House on Thursday criticized Netanyahu’s campaign tactics, which included warning his supporters about high Arab turnout and reversing his support for Palestinian statehood, warning that they could endanger the United States’s support for Israel at the United Nations.
“The president reaffirmed the United States’ long-standing commitment to a two-state solution that results in a secure Israel alongside a sovereign and viable Palestine,” the White House said in a statement.
The two leaders have also clashed over Iran’s nuclear arsenal, and the White House said Obama “reiterated that the United States is focused on reaching a comprehensive deal with Iran that prevents Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon” during his phone call with Netanyahu.
The call was not entirely congratulatory.
President Obama told Netanyahu the U.S. “will need to reassess our options following the Prime Minister’s new positions and comments regarding the two state solution,” according to a White House official.
Both leaders also “discussed Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comments about Israeli Arabs,” the official said.
– Updated at 5:47 p.m.