Netanyahu and Trump
Netanyahu and TrumpAvi Ohayon/GPO

US President Donald Trump on Sunday congratulated Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for passing David Ben Gurion and becoming the longest serving prime minister in the history of Israel.

“Under your leadership, Israel has become a technology powerhouse and a world class economy. Most importantly you have led Israel with a commitment to the values of democracy, freedom, and equal opportunity that both our nations cherish and share!” he tweeted.

Netanyahu later thanked Trump, writing, “Thank you, President Trump, for your warm words, outstanding support and incredible friendship. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with you. Under your leadership, we’ve made the alliance between our two remarkable countries stronger than ever. I know there’s more to come.”

Netanyahu on Saturday surpassed the number of days as prime minister held by Ben Gurion, the country’s first prime minister who served in office for 4,875 days, from the establishment of the state in May 1948 until early 1954, and again from November 1955 to June 1963.

As of Saturday, Netanyahu served 4,876 days from 1996 to 1999, and from March 2009 to the present.