Will the US and Israel be on the same page again? Illustrative. By Joshua Spurlock
Donald Trump held his first call as the President of the United States with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday, with Iran being an unusually highlighted element of the conversation that could indicate plans for the future. Describing the conversation as “very warm,” Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli Prime Minister “expressed his desire to work closely with President Trump to forge a common vision to advance peace and security in the region, with no daylight between the United States and Israel.”
On the topic list for the call was the Iranian nuclear deal—an interesting topic given that the deal was completed many months ago and has been implemented for over a year. Trump has promised to revisit the deal, and Sunday’s conversation may be the first indication of that.
An earlier press release from Netanyahu’s office quoted him as saying during Sunday’s Israeli cabinet meeting, “I would like to make it clear, contrary to reports that I have read, that stopping the Iranian threat, and first and foremost the threat reflected in the bad nuclear agreement that was signed with Iran, continues to be a supreme goal of the State of Israel.”
Regarding their call on Sunday, Netanyahu’s office said the peace process with the Palestinians was among the other issues discussed.
Trump invited Netanyahu to come to the U.S. in February, again signaling the relationship will take on a higher priority than it did previously. Obama and Netanyahu did not meet in the U.S. for the first time until May following the former president’s ascension to power.
Netanyahu’s office implied they accepted Trump’s invitation, noting a date for the trip will be set later.
Earlier on Sunday, Netanyahu congratulated Trump on the start of his term in office. Said the Israeli leader, “I very much appreciate his deep friendship for Israel, as well as his declared willingness to fight radical Islamic terrorism with full force.”
(By Joshua Spurlock, www.themideastupdate.com, January 22, 2017)