Former Israeli Ambassador to the United States Danny Ayalon spoke to Arutz Sheva about his acquaintance with incoming CIA chief William Burns, calling him a friend of Israel.
"I'm very well acquainted with him," Ayalon told Arutz Sheva on Monday. "He was assistant secretary of state for the Middle East for many years, eventually losing the 'assistant' title. We've spent a lot of time in each other's company, and I count him as a personal friend and a first-rate professional. His attitude towards Israel is fair, friendly, and sympathetic."
Ayalon said that President-elect Joe Biden's attitude towards Israel might even change for the better. "Anyone who sees the full extent of the cooperation between Israel and the United States of America, in intelligence and in operation, rapidly comes to see us as a friend and an asset and becomes a devoted advocate of that partnership. Even though the narrow scope of the CIA alone, the USA has much to gain from allying itself with Israel."
Ayalon thinks that Biden's attitude towards Iran is good, but his support might not be quite as firm as outgoing President Trump's has been.
"He supported the ill-advised deal of 2015, but he's also open to input, and will give any serious evidence all due consideration."