US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett Tuesday evening.
Secretary of State Blinken thanked Prime Minister Bennett for helping to strengthen the ties between Israel and the United States and expressed appreciation for his leadership and statesmanship shown during his tenure.
The two also discussed the Iranian issue. Prime Minister Bennett emphasized that he shares the Secretary of State’s expectation to continue cooperating on the issue.
Bennett thanked the Secretary of State for his partnership and friendship shown in their work together.
He further emphasized that Israel-US relations should continue in their positive spirit and transcend political considerations.
"Thanks to honesty, decency and working together – we achieved many things," said Bennett
The two stressed the importance of President Biden's upcoming visit to Israel, slated for July 13th.
Bennett told Blinken that he will continue to support and assist Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid upon his taking office.
The two agreed to maintain contact.
Blinken mentioned his conversation with Bennett in a tweet reading: “I spoke with Naftali Bennett today regarding the dissolution of the Knesset, underscoring our respect for democratic processes, our unwavering commitment to the strong US-Israeli strategic relationship, and our mutual concerns about Iran’s malign influence in the region."
Earlier on Tuesday, Blinken had a conversation with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid.
“Secretary Blinken underscored our respect for democratic processes and reiterated our unwavering commitment to the strong U.S.-Israel strategic relationship,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
“The Secretary emphasized our continuing close coordination on regional and global issues and noted President Biden looks forward to his visit to Israel next month,” he added.
The Foreign Ministry said following the conversation between Lapid and Blinken, “The two discussed President Biden’s visit to Israel next month. The visit will be an opportunity to emphasize the President’s deep personal connection to Israel, the United States’ commitment to Israel’s security, and the strengthening of Israel in the region."
"The visit will have significant implications for the region and the fight against Iran, as well as immense potential to significantly improve regional stability and security,” it added.
Price later told reporters that the United States expects to maintain its strong support for Israel as it heads to its fifth election in less than four years.
"I don't expect political developments in Israel will have implications for what we are seeking to accomplish together with our Israeli partners -- or with our Palestinian partners for that matter," he said.
"The strength of our relationship does not depend on who sits in the Oval Office. It doesn't depend on who sits in the prime minister's chair in Israel," Price added.
"This is a strategic partnership between our two countries. It will continue to be a strategic partnership between our two countries in the coming weeks, in the coming months as the process plays out," he stressed.