Joe Biden met with Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, the White House announced, their first conversation since December 23, amid a period of friction between the United States and Israel, AFP reported.

The US president and Israel’s prime minister, whose personal relationship is notoriously strained, discussed “recent developments in Gaza and Israel,” according to the US executive, who promises to release a report on the exchange at a later date.

On Thursday, Benjamin Netanyahu rejected one of Joe Biden’s constant demands, namely the future coexistence of the state of Israel with a Palestinian state:

“Israel must have security control over all the territory west of the Jordan River. This is a necessary condition that contradicts the idea of ​​(Palestinian) sovereignty,” the prime minister said, adding that he told the Americans about it directly.

The position is not new, but the remarks, and the way they were worded, once again underscored the differences between the United States and its ally.

“Obviously, we see things differently,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in response.

The United States has been putting intense pressure on Israel, for which it is a major diplomatic and military supporter, both over the conduct of the war in Gaza, triggered by the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, and over the long-term prospects after the conflict.

The last telephone exchange between the two leaders took place on December 23 and was stormy, according to American media.

The US president is reported to have abruptly ended the conversation, saying, “This conversation is over.”