Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a tough dilemma given media projections of Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States. As world leaders took turns congratulating Biden, Netanyahu pondered how to deal with this hot potato on his desk, repeatedly consulting his man at the White House, Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer. He knew he could not avoid congratulating Biden, the 46th US president. He also knew he could not congratulate Biden without incurring the wrath and possible revenge by outgoing President Donald Trump, the proverbial gift that has not stopped bestowing gifts on Israel and Netanyahu throughout his four-year term. What's more, even as he mulled his options, Trump’s point person on Iran Elliott Abrams was visiting Jerusalem and discussing a series of additional sanctions on the Tehran regime with his Israeli counterparts. Should Netanyahu congratulate Biden nevertheless, even as Trump’s envoy was discussing increased pressure on Iran to benefit Israel? What was he going to do?
Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Benny Gantz eventually settled on a compromise that left them empty-handed. They were both among the last world leaders to congratulate Biden and avoided using the president-elect title in their message in order to avoid angering the incumbent. The only senior Israeli office holder to wholeheartedly salute Biden was Justice Minister Avi Nissenkorn of the Blue and White party led by Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, earning himself a sharp rebuke from his party boss.
