Israeli PM Netanyahu congratulates ‘great friend of Israel’ Joe Biden, thanks Trump

“Congratulations @JoeBiden and @KamalaHarris. Joe, we’ve had a long & warm personal relationship for nearly 40 years, and I know you as a great friend of Israel. I look forward to working with both of you to further strengthen the special alliance between the U.S. and Israel," Netanyahu wrote on his Twitter account.

Netanyahu also thanked Trump, his close personal and political ally, in a follow up tweet.

“Thank you @realDonaldTrump for the friendship you have shown the state of Israel and me personally, for recognizing Jerusalem and the Golan, for standing up to Iran, for the historic peace accords and for bringing the American-Israeli alliance to unprecedented heights.”

Netanyahu's close relationship with Trump has led some to speculate that he may struggle to build a similar rapport with a Biden administration in the White House.

Netanyahu had a notoriously difficult relationship with President Barack Obama, during which time Biden was vice-president.

Biden has pledged to reengage with the 2015 Iran nuclear deal - fiercely opposed by Netanyahu - and is considered to be more likely to criticize Israel's illegal settlement policy in the West Bank than Trump.