Netanyahu says he spoke with Trump 3 times over last few days, stresses they see eye-to-eye on Iranian threat

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he and U.S. President-elect Donald J. Trump see “eye-to-eye” on several important issues after the leaders spoke to one another three times by phone in recent days.

Netanyahu’s comments came as part of a statement released on the anniversary of Kristallnacht and the recent anti-Israeli pogrom in Amsterdam.

“In any event, we will do what is necessary to defend ourselves and our citizens. We will never allow the atrocities of history to recur. We will never capitulate to antisemitism or terrorism. We will continue to defend our state and our citizens in every arena, against any threat, especially the Iranian threat,” the prime minister said.

“In recent days, I have spoken three times with US President-elect Donald Trump,” Netanyahu said.

The prime minister emphasized that he was among the first world leaders to congratulate Trump on his re-election last week, after restoring their once-excellent relations with a cordial visit to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in July.

After enjoying strong relations during Trump’s first administration, tensions between the two escalated when Netanyahu was perceived as being too quick to congratulate Biden on his 2020 election victory.

“These were very good and important talks designed to further enhance the steadfast bond between Israel and the US,” Netanyahu continued.

“We see eye-to-eye on the Iranian threat in all its aspects, and on the dangers they reflect. We also see the great opportunities facing Israel, in the area of peace and its expansion, and in other areas.”

Since his election, President-elect Donald Trump has frequently communicated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly more than with any other world leader. These discussions have provided Netanyahu with significant opportunities to influence Trump's perspectives on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Trump has expressed a desire for these wars to conclude swiftly.

According to the Axios news outlet, Netanyahu is likely the world leader who has communicated with Trump the most times since his election. These discussions have provided Netanyahu with significant opportunities to influence Trump's perspectives on the ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Trump has expressed a desire for these wars to conclude quickly.

While Trump displayed strong support for Israel during his first term – and has affirmed that position throughout his campaign – in recent weeks, he began to promise he would end the Gaza War upon taking office.

He has not said how he intends to bring the war to a close, especially in light of the tense security situation with Iran. 

Massad Boulos, the Lebanese father-in-law of Trump’s daughter Tiffany, announced he would lead efforts to mediate a ceasefire in Lebanon, while Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has stretched out feelers to restore relations with Trump after cutting off all connections during his first tenure.

Abbas began these efforts by meeting with Boulos, even before Trump was re-elected, and later sending Trump a letter condemning the assassination attempt against him.

Following the election, Abbas congratulated Trump shortly after Netanyahu.

According to Ziad Abu Amr, a close affiliate of Abbas, the leaders even discussed possibly meeting soon.

“We want to maintain a good working relationship because no one can ignore the role the U.S. can play in resolving the conflict,” Abu Amr said, according to The New York Times.

Helping Boulos facilitate the letter from Abbas to Trump was the leader of “Arab Americans for Trump,” Bishara Bahbah.

During the campaign, Bahbah asserted that Trump supports a two-state solution “one hundred percent.”

Bahbah, a Harvard-educated professor of investment, finance and wealth management, grew up in Jerusalem’s Old City before Israel gained control in 1967.

In a 2018 interview, he described the “Nakba” – the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948 – as a “tragedy perpetrated against us by the world.”

In the same interview, he said he had registered his American-born children as Palestinian refugees with UNRWA.

“When I die, I want there to be a record that we are Palestinian and Jerusalemites. It is our eternal right and no one can take it away from us,” Bahbah said.