JERUSALEM 

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Joe Biden following his swearing in Wednesday as the 46th president of the US. 

In his message, Rivlin said the US "has no better friend than Israel," stressing that ties between the two countries go beyond partisan politics.

Rivlin noted that the Middle East is undergoing rapid change, much of it positive.

“The recent peace agreements between Israel and our neighbors bring new hope, and I look forward to working with you to help build more bridges across the region, including with our Palestinian neighbors," he said.

Netanyahu said in a video message that he has a "warm" friendship with Biden that "goes back many years.”

He said he is looking forward to strengthening the "US-Israeli alliance, to continue expanding peace between Israel and the Arab world and to confront common challenges, chief among them the threat posed by Iran."

Earlier Wednesday, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris were officially sworn into office in a heavily-guarded but sparsely attended ceremony in the US Capitol.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat