On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on a public phone call with Prime Minister Yair Lapid for the first time since he took office last week.
Congratulating Lapid on his new position as premier of the country, Blinken reaffirmed Washington’s “unwavering commitment to the US-Israel partnership, Israel’s security and to countering shared threats, including those from Iran,” the State Department said in a statement.
Source: Goa Chronicle
The top US diplomat “also emphasized US support for a negotiated two-state solution” and said that “Biden looks forward to celebrating our partnership with Israel during his upcoming visit.”
According to media reports, Biden was to call Lapid last Friday, but the Blinken conversation on Wednesday indicated the president would not be speaking to the prime minister until Biden lands in Israel for a visit next Wednesday. Biden will go to Israel and the West Bank during the three-day trip.
Other than Blinken, Lapid’s office has not reported receiving congratulatory phone calls from any world leaders since taking office, most likely due to the sudden political turn of events in the Jewish nation. As a result of the current coalition dissolving, Israelis will go to the ballot box on November 1 for their fifth national election in under four years.
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