Netanyahu first leader Biden will talk to in Mideast

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden's first telephone call with a leader in the Middle East will be with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the White House said Tuesday.

"It will be soon," spokeswoman Jen Psaki said during her news conference regarding a future conversation which will be the first talk with Israel since Biden took office Jan. 20.

She did not give an exact date for the call.

"Israel is of course an ally. Israel is a country we have an important, strategic security relationship," said Psaki. "Our team is fully engaged, having constant conversations at many levels with the Israelis."

Last week, Psaki said Biden will talk to Netanyahu "soon" and the president "looks forward" to speaking with the Israeli leader.

Israel's Ambassador Danny Danon posted a tweet noting all of Trump's calls since he assumed the presidency, pressing for a call to Netanyahu.

"@POTUS Joe Biden, you have called world leaders from #Canada #Mexico #UK #India #France #Germany #Japan #Australia #SouthKorea #Russia," Israel's former UN Ambassador said hours before Biden spoke with China's president.

"Might it now be time to call the leader of #Israel, the closest ally of the #US? The PM's number is: 972-2-6705555," he added.

Netanyahu was a close ally of Biden's former political rival, Donald Trump, and the Israeli premier worked during the former president's four-year term to upend long-held pillars of the two-state solution to achieve peace with the Palestinians.