Trump Described His Phone Conversation with Netanyahu as 'Very Pleasant'

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, had his first phone conversation with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, on the second day of his presidency, and he briefly referred to this phone call as 'very pleasant.' The conversation took place on Sunday, January 22, and Trump described it as pleasant in response to reporters' questions during the White House staff swearing-in ceremony, without providing further details. According to Reuters, Netanyahu also described the phone call as 'very warm' and reported that the U.S. President invited him to visit the White House next month. The statement from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office indicated that the two leaders discussed the Iran nuclear deal, the peace process with the Palestinians, and other issues during their phone call. Hours before this conversation, Netanyahu had informed his government meeting in Jerusalem that his call with Trump centered around 'Iran's threats,' issues related to the Palestinians, and Syria. Israeli media reported that 'the Iranian nuclear file and regional movements' will be on the agenda of the U.S.-Israel partnership during the new U.S. presidency. A day before this phone call, the YouTube channel of the Israeli Prime Minister's Office published a message from Benjamin Netanyahu addressed to the people of Iran. In this message, while speaking to the Iranian people, he informed them that 'I intend to soon discuss with President Trump ways to confront the threats of the Iranian regime; the same regime that seeks the destruction of Israel.' Netanyahu added that he realized recently that he has spoken a lot about the Iranian regime but not enough about the Iranian people, stating, 'The regime hopes to instill enmity between us by repeatedly calling for the destruction of Israel; but that will not happen; we are your friends, not your enemies.' Netanyahu also mentioned, 'We have always distinguished between the Iranian people and the regime that rules over you; the regime is ruthless; the people are not; the regime is hostile; the people are warm-hearted.' Last week, the Israeli Prime Minister said he had five strategies in mind to discuss with Donald Trump regarding Iran during their first meeting. Earlier, Israeli media reported that Netanyahu would be 'one of the first world leaders' invited to meet with President Trump at the White House. The last face-to-face meeting between Netanyahu and Trump was two months before the U.S. presidential election during Netanyahu's visit to the United Nations General Assembly. Trump had emphasized 'strong support' for Israel, which he called 'America's most important ally,' before the election. Regarding the situation in Syria, Israel has emphasized that it will not tolerate Iran's growing influence in Syria. Multiple airstrikes in recent weeks against Syria, including military bases of Bashar al-Assad's government, have been attributed to Israel. Reports indicate that these airstrikes aimed to prevent the transfer of newly arrived weapons from Iran before they were sent to Hezbollah in Lebanon. In his message to the Iranian people on January 22, Netanyahu stated that the Iranian regime steals your money and gives it to Assad, a mass murderer. The White House: The issue of relocating the embassy to Jerusalem is in the early stages. Concurrently with Netanyahu's phone conversation with Trump, the White House also announced that the issue of relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is in 'the early stages.' According to Reuters, Sean Spicer, the White House spokesman, in his first appearance in this role, spoke about initial steps to fulfill a previous promise made by Donald Trump regarding the relocation of the embassy to Jerusalem. David Friedman, who has been nominated by Trump for the U.S. ambassador position in Israel, expressed confidence regarding the relocation of the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem. According to Israeli radio, Friedman stated that he would also live in Jerusalem so that 'the embassy can be moved to the eternal capital of the Jewish people as soon as possible.' On the other hand, reports indicate that Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, emphasized during a meeting with King Abdullah II of Jordan on January 22 that the Palestinians will oppose the issue of relocating the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.