Israeli Ambassador to US: Benjamin Netanyahu 'not troubled' by no call from Joe Biden

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not troubled that US President Joe Biden has not phoned him yet, Israel’s ambassador to Washington said on Saturday.

There has been speculation that the Democratic president could be signalling displeasure over the close ties Mr Netanyahu forged with former president Donald Trump, who called Mr Netanyahu two days after being inaugurated in 2017.

"The prime minister is not worried about the timing of the conversation," Ambassador Gilad Erdan told broadcaster N12's Meet The Press.

He said Mr Biden had urgent matters to contend with, such as the pandemic and its economic fallout.

On Friday, the White House denied Mr Biden was snubbing Mr Netanyahu by failing to include him in phone calls to foreign leaders since taking office on January 20, saying the two leaders would speak soon.

Mr Biden has already called numerous foreign leaders, including those from China, Mexico, Britain, India, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea and Russia.

David Makovsky, a former US Middle East negotiator now based at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a think tank, said on Twitter that when Mr Biden starts phoning Middle East leaders, Mr Netanyahu will probably be first among them.

While the right-wing Mr Netanyahu was in lock-step with Mr Trump over Middle East policy, he could be in for frostier relations with Mr Biden, although Mr Biden has long been regarded in Israel as a friend.

Mr Netanyahu may find the alliance tested if Washington restores US participation in the Iran nuclear deal that Mr Trump withdrew from and opposes Israeli settlement building on occupied land where Palestinians seek statehood.

Corruption trial 

Mr Netanyahu faces growing political pressure on the home front, following an ongoing anti-corruption trial. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside his official residence in Jerusalem on Saturday demanding his resignation.

The protests that drew crowds of thousands of people from across the country throughout the summer have grown smaller in number as temperatures have dropped in Jerusalem in recent weeks.

Protesters say Mr Netanyahu should step down because of his corruption trial and what they say is mismanagement of the country’s coronavirus crisis.

They also say he cannot serve as prime minister when he is on trial for charges of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases.

Mr Netanyahu has denied wrongdoing.

Israel is preparing to hold new elections on March 23, and Mr Netanyahu’s prospects could yet be boosted on early signs that the mass vaccination programme is working and his hardline stance on a possible return to the Iran deal.