Netanyahu notes ‘long & warm personal relationship’ with Biden in congratulatory tweet

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the latest world leader to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden, hailing their relationship in a tweet Sunday.

“Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris,” Netanyahu tweeted. “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.”

Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. 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.

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) November 8, 2020

Netanyahu, one of the world leaders most closely aligned with President Trump, also thanked the incumbent president “for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.”

Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.

— Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) November 8, 2020

The prime minister congratulated Biden several hours after numerous other world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emanuel Macron.

Dani Dayan, the former Israeli consul to New York, said Netanyahu’s delay was likely an attempt to avoid alienating Trump before he leaves office in January.

“There is a president in the White House who has not yet acknowledged his defeat and whose whims definitely play a major role in his decision making process and he will be sitting in the White House for another two and a half months,” Dayan told Army Radio, according to Reuters.

The prime minister had a fraught relationship with Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, particularly in regard to the Iran nuclear deal and settlements in the West Bank.