Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday congratulated Likud chairman Benjamin Netanyahu for his victory in the Israeli elections.
“Congratulations to the people of Israel on a robust high turnout election and clear choice of Netanyahu to form a government,” he tweeted.
Cruz concluded his tweet by writing in Hebrew, “Behatzlacha, Chaver” (lit. Good luck, friend).
Earlier on Wednesday, Axios reported that the Biden Administration is likely to refuse to work with Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir if he becomes a minister in Israel's next government.
Two US officials said that no final decision has been made yet, but the administration is likely to boycott Ben Gvir, who would become the first Israeli minister the US government would refuse to work with.
Ben Gvir has expressed a desire to serve as Public Security Minister, a position which would make him responsible for the Israel Police and the policy in the holy places in Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount and the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Public Security Minister is involved in a range of collaborations and contacts between Israel and the US - in the political field regarding Jerusalem, in the civilian field in the issue of visas to the US, and in the field of security cooperation.
Officials from Otzma Yehudit responded, "The undemocratic campaign that the Israeli left is trying to push continues. We know very well who in Israel is trying to incite the Americans to interfere in Israeli democracy and what their interests are."