President Trump invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to visit Washington in early February, Netanyahu’s office and the White House said Sunday. Both said the exact date would be set in the coming days.
The Israeli leader issued a statement shortly after his first phone call with the new president, whom he had congratulated by phone shortly after Trump’s victory last year.
“The Prime Minister expressed his desire to work closely with President Trump to forge a common vision to advance peace and security in the region, with no daylight between the United States and Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement Sunday.
The Israeli prime minister said he and Trump discussed the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Iranian nuclear deal, among other topics.
The White House said Trump’s conversation with Netanyahu focused on “ways to advance and strengthen the U.S.-Israel special relationship, and security and stability in the Middle East.”
The two leaders discussed counter-terrorism measures as well as “the threats posed by Iran” in the region.
“The president emphasized that peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be negotiated directly between the two parties, and that the United States will work closely with Israel to make progress towards that goal,” the White House noted in its statement.
