JERUSALEM (ISRAEL) – Joe Biden was mocked at by US President Donald Trump during a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump asked Netanyahu in a televised phone call with his closest foreign ally about a Middle East peace initiative said, “Do you think ‘Sleepy Joe’ could have made this deal?.”
However, the Israeli leader did not comment after the US networks made a call for electing the former vice president. In addition to it, a picture of Netanyahu and Trump continued to be at the top of the Israeli prime minister’s Facebook page.
Though Trump had immediately accused Biden of “rushing to falsely pose as the winner”, Israeli Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn, a member of Netanyahu’s ruling coalition belonging to the centrist Blue and White party, congratulated Biden.
Nissenkorn wrote on Twitter, “Congratulations to US President-elect Joe Biden! Congratulations to Kamala Harris, the first woman to serve as vice president and congratulations to the American people on the proper democratic process.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid also congratulated on Twitter.
“The relationship between our countries is based on deeply held values and critical shared interests which I know will be at the heart of your administration,” Lapid wrote.
Netanyahu famously feuded with Biden’s former boss, Barack Obama, and he may experience policy whiplash after four years of being in lockstep with Trump – whom he praised before the election for having “isolated Iran, confronted its aggression, recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, recognised our sovereignty over the Golan Heights.”
However Biden and Netanyahu have had disputing standpoints over COVID-19 and their economies.
There has also been disagreement over Biden pledging to resume US involvement in the Iran nuclear deal, and his possible opposition to Israeli settlement of occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood.
But removing a major portion of Trump’s Mideast policy may not mean that Biden will be offering an alternative.
He has already added that Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital will not be reversed by him.
And Biden has vowed not to condition US assistance for Israel on policy changes. That indicated his disapproval of settlement activity may remain declarative.
With regard to Iran, Daniel Shapiro, US ambassador to Israel under Obama, told, “Ensuring Iran does not get nuclear weapons remains a priority, and obviously ensuring Israel’s security and working to at least preserve the two-state solution.”
He said “priority” will be given for more pressing US domestic problems.