Skip To Content
JEWISH. INDEPENDENT. NONPROFIT.
Breaking News

Netanyahu Congratulates Obama on Election Win

Israeli leaders congratulated President Obama on his reelection.

“The strategic alliance between Israel and the U.S. is stronger than ever,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a short statement issued Wednesday morning in Israel shortly after Obama delivered his victory speech. “I will continue to work with President Obama in order to assure the interests that are vital to the security of the citizens of Israel.”

Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Wednesday afternoon with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, according to a statement issued from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a statement congratulating Obama as well as “all of the Senators and Members of Congress who were elected by the American people in an exemplary display of democracy.”

“I have no doubt that the Obama administration will continue its policy –whereby Israel’s security is at its very foundations – as well as its efforts to tackle the challenges facing all of us in the region; all the while continuing to strive for further progress in the peace process,” Barak said in a statement issued Wednesday morning in Israel. “I believe that in the tradition of deep friendship and with a backdrop of shared experiences accrued with President Obama, it also will be possible to overcome any differences in stance; should they arise.”

Labor Party head Shelly Yachimovich also sent a letter of congratulations to Obama. “I have a lot of appreciation for your attempts to bring about change in American society, its agenda, and the values you promote – international values such as equality, fair economy, and accountability to citizens.”

She also wished the president “success in your efforts to promote processes of peace and freedom around the world. We in Israel expect to continue the special relationship between Israel and America, which are real friends and allies. We hope your global leadership will create a better and safer future for in our region and in the entire world.”

Shapiro on his Facebook page offered his congratulations to Obama and Vice President Joe Biden on their reelection. He also offered “Congratulations to America on another election.”

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.

In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.

At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.

Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.

Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly. 

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!

Republish This Story

Please read before republishing

We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines. You must credit the Forward, retain our pixel and preserve our canonical link in Google search.  See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.

To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.

We don't support Internet Explorer

Please use Chrome, Safari, Firefox, or Edge to view this site.