Koby Gideon/GPO

“President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic, and the President thanked the Prime Minister for his strong action to stop its spread,” announced the White House.

By JNS

“Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel,” according to a statement from the White House. “President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic, and the President thanked the Prime Minister for his strong action to stop its spread.”

The call occurred the day after Benny Gantz became Knesset speaker, all but ensuring a unity government in which Netanyahu would remain prime minister for at least the next 18 months, a step on which Trump congratulated Netanyahu.

Gantz is expected to become foreign minister and, after the 18-month period, prime minister.

Netanyahu and Trump also discussed Israel’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), which has wreaked havoc through the world.

“The two leaders agreed to cooperate closely to combat the virus and minimize its global impact,” according to the White House. “The president and the prime minister also discussed critical bilateral and regional issues.”

Currently, the United States has the most cases of the virus worldwide with 100,717, while Israel has 3,035. There have been 1,544 deaths in the former and 13 fatalities in the latter.