A spokesman for the National Security Council told Fox News Digital that President Biden will speak with Netanyahu “soon,” but stopped short of naming Netanyahu the prime minister-elect — instead saying that “Mr. Netanyahu, having won a majority in the Knesset, it is likely that the formation of the government will be entrusted in the next few days.” “The president has known and worked with Bibi Netanyahu for many years,” the spokesman added. “They worked closely when Netanyahu was prime minister last year and met again during the president’s visit to Israel in July.” Foreign Minister Anthony Blinken this week called on Lapid to “praise Israel for the free and fair elections and thank the prime minister for his cooperation” as well as stress his concerns about “heightened tensions” in the West Bank. NETANYAHU SEEMS TO BE BACK IN POWER IN ISRAEL AFTER FIFTH ELECTIONS But only US Ambassador to Israel Thomas Nides has so far directly congratulated Netanyahu, saying on Thursday that he had a “good conversation” with Netanyahu and that he looks forward to “working together to maintain the unbreakable bond.” Then-Vice President Joe Biden shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as they make joint remarks during their meeting in Jerusalem March 9, 2016. (Reuters/Debbie Hill) Biden and Blinken quickly recognized Brazilian President-elect Lula da Silva, even though Jair Bolsonaro has yet to officially concede defeat, instead simply authorizing his chief of staff to begin the transition process — and Blinken called on Friday Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to discuss “joint efforts” to strengthen Palestinian security and reaffirm commitment to a two-state solution. NETANYAHU’S ELECTION VICTORY IN ISRAEL PRESENTS ‘STIER CHALLENGE’ TO US MIDDLE EAST POLICY The difference in reaction to each result sets an uneasy tone for the administration in the new Netanyahu government: A source familiar with the internal discussions told Fox News Digital that top administration officials are reluctant to admit that Netanyahu won the election. President Biden is welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport. (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images) Part of this reluctance may be related to discomfort in working with far-right party leader Itamar Ben-Gvir, who is poised to take a prominent role in Netanyahu’s new government. UN COMMISSION VOTES ISRAEL TO GIVE UP NUCLEAR WEAPONS, ALLOWS INTERNATIONAL INSPECTORS Two officials told Axios this week that the Biden administration is “unlikely” to work with Ben-Gvir, whom they described as a “Jewish defender.” Ben-Gvir said he wants to become minister of internal security, giving him responsibility for police and policies around the holy sites in Jerusalem. Itamar Ben-Gvir, left, and Bezalel Smotrich attend a rally with supporters in the southern Israeli city of Sderot on October 26, 2022. (GIL Cohen-Magen/AFP via Getty Images) Joel Rubin, former deputy secretary of state under President Barack Obama, recently told Fox News Digital that the “likely composition” of the next Israeli government will present “some stark challenges to American national security.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “The Biden administration will be asked to navigate this space, which will require close coordination with Netanyahu himself, personally, as he tries to manage a challenging coalition government on Israeli-Arab relations,” Rubin said. Peter Aitken is a Fox News Digital reporter with a focus on national and global news.
