Biden: Looking forward to work with Netanyahu on 'threats from Iran'

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
29 Dec 2022 23:40

US president says that he wants to work with the new Israeli government to address challenges and opportunities facing "Israel".

US President Joe Biden and Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In a statement released on Thursday, US President Joe Biden said that he looks forward to working with the new Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to counter challenges "facing Israel", including Iranian threats.

"Today, Israel’s Knesset voted to ratify a new Israeli government under the leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. I look forward to working with Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has been my friend for decades, to jointly address the many challenges and opportunities facing Israel and the Middle East region, including threats from Iran," Biden stated.

"From the start of my administration, we have worked with partners to promote this more hopeful vision of a region at peace, including between Israelis and Palestinians," he added.

"We aim to continue this important work with Israel’s new government under Prime Minister Netanyahu’s leadership."

The American president reiterated his administration's position on supporting a "two-state" solution.

Watch here: Benjamin Netanyahu in secret contact with Muhammed bin Salman

Earlier on Thursday, former Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in by the Israeli parliament as prime minister one more time, the third time in his political career after he formed a new government, with a slim majority of 63 out of 120 MKs.

Netanyahu was sworn in as the Israeli opposition was criticizing his government due to the alliances forged to get him into the premiership.

Netanyahu's Likud party, in addition to the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism party, with which the Prime Minister had signed a coalition agreement a day earlier, will be receiving several seats in the newly-formed cabinet.

Outgoing PM Yair Lapid, who is now heading the largest parliamentary group that is not part of the new government, accused Netanyahu during the debate of "undermining democracy" by leading the occupation despite a trial on corruption charges against him.

Netanyahu's government was met with protest, however. Hundreds have taken to the streets in occupied Palestine, namely outside the Israeli occupation's Knesset, to protest the swearing-in of the new Israeli cabinet, spearheaded by Netanyahu.

With Netanyahu coming back in, his third reign of terror will begin after having served as PM from 1996 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2021. This is his most controversial government to date, expected to lead to a Third Palestinian Intifada.