President Trump sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday congratulating him on his 70th birthday and calling him “one of my closest allies,” shortly after Netanyahu announced he had failed to form a government for the second time in six months.
Why it matters: The warm contents of the letter stand in stark contrast to the cold shoulder Trump gave Netanyahu after the Israeli election, when he said the U.S. has relations “with Israel,” and not with Netanyahu. Trump and Netanyahu haven’t spoken on the phone in five weeks. Their last phone call was three days before the Sept. 17 elections, when Trump tweeted that he discussed with Netanyahu the possibility of a U.S.-Israel defense treaty.
- Trump wrote in the letter: “There has never been a more productive time in the Israeli-American partnership and I know there are many more victories to come. You are one of my closest allies. I look forward to the continued success we will have working together.”
- The president added in a handwritten comment beside his signature: “You are great!”
View the complete October 22 article by Barak David from Israel’s Channel 13 news on the Axios website here.