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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated US President-elect Joe Biden on Sunday on his victory in the US presidential elections and described him as a “great friend of Israel.”Meanwhile, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and the Israeli Foreign Ministry, in their congratulations to Biden, affirmed their enthusiasm for the continuation of the “strong strategic alliance” between Washington and Tel Aviv.
“We congratulate Joe Biden and Kamala Harris,” Netanyahu wrote in a tweet on his Twitter account, adding: “Joe, we have known each other for almost 40 years and our relationship is warm, and I know you are a great friend to Israel, and I look forward to going further with you to further deepen the alliance. ” Special between the United States and Israel “.
From recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to supporting settlements in the occupied West Bank, blessing the annexation of the Golan, and encouraging normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries, Republican President Donald Trump has been a staunch supporter of Israel.
After Trump announced to several journalists last October that an agreement had been reached between Sudan and Israel to normalize relations between them, the Republican president maintained contact with Netanyahu by asking him: “Do you think the ‘sleepy atmosphere’ was capable of conclude such a deal? “, referring to Democratic rival, Joe Biden.
Netanyahu, who relies heavily on the support of the two major parties in the United States for his country, responded by saying that “one thing I can tell you is that we appreciate anyone’s help for peace in America.”
Trump is one of Netanyahu’s most important allies, helping him greatly to overcome the internal crises that nearly toppled him in recent months.
Netanyahu, like most Israelis, expected Trump to win the presidential election.
Two recent opinion polls showed that 63% of Israelis prefer Trump to Biden (17 or 18%), whose percentage of supporters is less than undecided (20%).
A billboard in Israel showing Netanyahu (right) and Trump with a phrase written in Hebrew that says “No to the Palestinian state” in Jerusalem (European Archive)
Netanyahu … go away
But when the US media announced Biden’s victory, thousands of Israelis celebrated their victory last night and reported that thousands of anti-Netanyahu protesters in Jerusalem celebrated Biden’s victory, and raised banners that read “Now it’s your turn to go,” in reference. to Netanyahu.
For its part, the “Black Flags” movement – which organizes the demonstrations against Netanyahu – said that the United States managed to “get rid of Trump, and now Israel must do the same with Netanyahu.”
“Israel must also acquire new leadership that works for the citizens, not against them,” he added in a statement.
Yet Biden has known Israel for a long time, visiting it for the first time in 1973, and asserting in 2015 that the United States must fulfill “its sacred promise to protect the original homeland of the Jews.”
Despite deep relations and the visit of 9 democratic rulers compared to 7 Republicans in Israel since 2017, according to data provided by the Israeli Foreign Ministry to the French Press Agency, many in Israel see the team from Biden with suspicion.
Israeli fears
Israeli officials fear the emergence of a new, less supportive and possibly anti-Israel generation within the Democratic Party, as they adopt lenient policies toward Iran.
Central Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid expressed concern over the emergence of “hardline” and “anti-Israel” voices among US Democrats, but congratulated Biden and Harris, calling on them to “strengthen relations with Israel over the base of the values and interests wanted by both countries “.
For his part, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin said in his congratulatory telegram to Biden: “The strategic alliance between our two countries is stronger than any political leadership.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi also sent a telegram to congratulate the new US president and said: “I am confident in the development of alliance relations between our two countries under your leadership.”
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