President Donald Trump said he discussed a possible “mutual defence treaty” between the US and Israel in a call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, signalling support for the country’s embattled leader days before a tough re-election vote.
Mr Trump tweeted on Sunday that the leaders spoke about the possibility of a treaty that would “further anchor the tremendous alliance between our two countries”, adding that they hoped to continue talks after Tuesday’s election.
“I look forward to continuing those discussions after the Israeli Elections when we meet at the United Nations later this month!” Mr Trump said.
Mr Netanyahu thanked Mr Trump for his announcement on Twitter and said he looked forward to meeting him at the UN General Assembly.
“The Jewish State has never had a greater friend in the White House,” Mr Netanyahu said.
Mr Netanyahu is locked in a close election contest with his main rival, former general Benny Gantz, with final polls ahead of the vote suggesting that neither has a clear path to forming a government.
The government-formation process will take several weeks, possibly running up against the UN meeting. If it is clear Mr Netanyahu is no longer the prime minister, he is unlikely to go.
Read the article by Catherine Lucey in The Australian.