President Biden described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Thursday as “my friend for decades” as the conservative powerhouse once again became the Jewish state’s head of government.
“I look forward to working with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has been my friend for decades, to jointly address the many challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the Middle East region, including threats from Iran,” the president said.
“The United States is working to promote a region that’s increasingly integrated, prosperous, and secure, with benefits for all of its people,” Biden added.
“From the start of my Administration, we have worked with partners to promote this more hopeful vision of a region at peace, including between Israelis and Palestinians.”
Biden also said in the statement, issued from his beach trip to the Virgin Islands, that “the United States will continue to support the two-state solution and to oppose policies that endanger its viability or contradict our mutual interests and values.”
Netanyahu, 73, is Israel’s longest-serving prime minister and reclaimed power with the support of a majority of Knesset members just 18 months after he was ousted.
Netanyahu was among the leaders who welcomed Biden to Israel in JulyABIR SULTAN/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Netanyahu took office Thursday as the Knesset also selected its first openly gay speaker, Amir Ohana of Netanyahu’s conservative Likud party.
Biden, 80, worked with Netanyahu during his prior tenures as prime minister — which spanned 2009 to 2021, covering almost all of Biden’s eight years as vice president, and 1996 to 1999 while Biden was a senator.
Former President Donald Trump, 76, was a close ally to Netanyahu and said he felt betrayed by the Israeli leader’s decision to congratulate Biden on his victory shortly after the 2020 election.
Trump was furious that Netanyahu congratulated Biden on winning the 2020 election.Getty Images
“The man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with … Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake,” Trump said in an interview published last year, using Netanyahu’s nickname.
“He was very early. Like earlier than most. I haven’t spoken to him since. F–k him,” added Trump, who is seeking a rematch against Biden in 2024.
Trump boosted Netanyahu’s standing by hosting him at the White House shortly before Israel’s 2019 election and announcing that the US would recognize Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights from Syria.