Israel’s Prime Minister was so eager to congratulate US President Donald Trump on his victory that he posted to Twitter before the election results were declared, becoming one of the first world leaders to acknowledge the 47th president.
“Congratulations on history’s greatest comeback!” Bibi tweeted.
Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition partners also lauded Trump’s victory. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir tweeted, “God Bless Trump”
Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich also blessed the president.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz tweeted along with a photo of him and Trump, “Congratulations to President-Elect @realDonaldTrump on his historic victory. Together, we’ll strengthen the US-Israel alliance, bring back the hostages, and stand firm to defeat the axis of evil led by Iran.”
Minister Gideon Sa’ar tweeted, “Congratulations President @realDonaldTrump on a truly historic victory. As a true friend of Israel with a proven commitment to Israel’s security, we welcome your strong and dedicated leadership as we work to build a better future of security and cooperation for the Middle East.”
Similarly, Education Minister Yoav Kisch, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party tweeted, “Welcome back Mr. President!!”
Culture Minister Miki Zohar, also of Likud, wrote, “Congratulations to US President-elect Donald Trump. We are already looking forward to the next four years.”
Israel’s enemies were less enthusiastic. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri says Donald Trump will be tested on his statements that he can stop the war within hours as US president.
“We urge Trump to learn from [US President Joe] Biden’s mistakes,” Abu Zuhri tells Reuters.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “I look forward to working with Trump in the years ahead.”
He added: “From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an ally of Trump, echoed the words of Netanyahu, congratulating Trump on the “biggest comeback in US political history,” adding that it was “a much-needed victory for the world.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said he was “not aware of the president’s plans to congratulate Trump on the election”, since the US was an “unfriendly country”.
He added that Russia would judge Trump on his actions: “We will draw conclusions based on concrete steps and concrete words.”
