U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan spoke by telephone with his Israeli counterpart Meir Ben Shabbat on Saturday, Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: This is the first contact between the Biden White House and the office of the Israeli Prime Minister. During the transition, the Biden team refrained from speaking to foreign governments.
Send the news: Israeli officials said the call was intended primarily as an introduction and to get the dialogue going.
- One of the issues discussed was Iran.
- The two national security advisers also discussed the Abraham Accords – the biblical trademark that the government gave to the individual normalization agreements between Israel and Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
- Sullivan has been calling his counterparts in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan and South Korea for the past few days.
- The White House did not comment on the call with the Israeli national security adviser.
The whole picture: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is concerned about President Biden’s stated intention to try to resume the nuclear deal with Iran. Such a move could lead to tensions in Biden’s government and the Israeli government.
- Designated Foreign Minister Tony Blinken said during his confirmation hearing this week that “there is a long way to go” until the Iran deal can be resumed.
- He stressed that the US will consult with Israel and the Gulf states before making decisions.