Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets with US President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC, March 5, 2018. Photo: Haim Zach / GPO.

US President Donald Trump held a telephone call on Friday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

A White House statement said, “Today, President Donald J. Trump spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu discussed the latest developments on the coronavirus pandemic, and the President thanked the Prime Minister for his strong action to stop its spread. The two leaders agreed to cooperate closely to combat the virus and minimize its global impact. The President and the Prime Minister also discussed critical bilateral and regional issues.”

A tweet on Netanyahu’s Arabic-language account said, “Trump called Prime Minister Netanyahu and congratulated him on the fact that he would form a government under his premiership” — a reference to the latest political developments in Israel.

Netanyahu’s main rival, Benny Gantz, was elected parliamentary speaker on Thursday, in a surprise maneuver that could herald a unity government keeping the veteran premier in power and end a year of political deadlock.

The tweet noted that Trump and Netanyahu also “discussed various steps that needed to be taken to deal with the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic.”