Biden Talks with Netanyahu One Month After Inauguration: "It Was a Good Conversation"

1-hour discussion on Middle East security issues including Iran
Netanyahu "Biden praises Israel's vaccine distribution achievements"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] It has been reported that President Joe Biden spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, one of the United States' key Middle East allies, for the first time in nearly a month since his inauguration. The two leaders reportedly had a one-hour phone call discussing major issues in the Middle East, including the Iranian nuclear issue. Netanyahu's office stated that President Biden praised Israel's vaccination achievements and emphasized the success in COVID-19 prevention measures.

According to foreign media such as CNN, on the 17th (local time), the White House announced that President Biden had his first phone call with Prime Minister Netanyahu since taking office, during which they discussed security and political issues across the Middle East region, including the Iran issue, for about an hour. The White House explained, "President Biden emphasized the United States' support for the recent normalization of relations between Israel and Arab countries and stressed the importance of efforts to promote peace throughout the region, including between Israel and Palestine. The two leaders pledged ongoing strategic cooperation to face many challenges in the Middle East and confirmed their shared interests."

With issues such as the Iranian nuclear negotiations emerging, no specific Middle East policy measures were mentioned, suggesting that significant differences remain between the two countries. When asked about the call with Prime Minister Netanyahu at a press conference held the same day, President Biden briefly replied, "It was a good conversation," and did not comment further beyond what the White House had disclosed.

In contrast, Netanyahu's office, which had been awaiting the call, posted on social media platforms such as the Prime Minister's official Twitter account immediately after the call, stating, "The conversation between the two leaders was warm and friendly and lasted about an hour," and added, "They discussed progress on peace agreements between Israel and Arab countries, Iran's nuclear threat, regional challenges, and agreed to continue the dialogue."

They further emphasized, "President Biden praised Israel's COVID-19 vaccination achievements and Netanyahu's leadership and exchanged views on COVID-19 response measures." This content was not disclosed by the White House or President Biden and is interpreted as Netanyahu highlighting COVID-19 prevention achievements ahead of the March general election.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.