TEL AVIV – President Donald Trump on Sunday congratulated Benjamin Netanyahu for becoming Israel’s longest-serving prime minister.
“Under your leadership, Israel has become a technology powerhouse and a world class economy,” Trump tweeted. “Most importantly, you have led Israel with a commitment to the values of democracy, freedom, and equal opportunity that both our nations cherish and share!”
In response, Netanyahu thanked the president for his “incredible friendship.”
“Thank you, President Trump, for your warm words, outstanding support & incredible friendship. I’m honored to have the opportunity to work with you. Under your leadership, we’ve made the alliance between our two remarkable countries stronger than ever. I know there’s more to come,” the prime minister tweeted.
Netanyahu, as of Saturday, has been Israel’s prime minister for a total of 4,876 days over 13 years, the Israel Democracy Institute think tank reported.
He was in office from 1996-1999, and then again since 2009.
Israel’s founding father David Ben-Gurion was prime minister from the establishment of the state in May 1948 until early 1954, and again from November 1955 to June 1963.
However, with new elections looming and a cloud of legal claims hanging over his head, Netanyahu’s political future is not certain. However, even his harshest critics concede that under his reign Israel has enjoyed unprecedented economic prosperity as well as robust relations in the international arena.