Four weeks into presidency, Biden places first call to Netanyahu

US President Joe Biden called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday, almost four weeks after entering the White House. Netanyahu's office said that the conversation “was very friendly and warm and lasted about an hour. The two leaders noted the longstanding personal connection between them and said they would work together to further strengthen the strong alliance between Israel and the United States."

Netanyahu’s office said they had discussed strengthening bilateral ties and building on the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab and Muslim countries, brokered last year by the previous administration. They also spoke about “the Iranian threat and challenges of the region, agreeing to continue talks between them,” read the statement.