MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 08th November, 2020) Israel's Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi has congratulated Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris on their victory in the US presidential election.
Official results of the 2020 US presidential election are not out yet, but all major US media have already declared Biden the winner. While Biden claimed victory on Saturday, his Republican rival, incumbent President Donald Trump, has argued that the race was not over yet. Trump said the election was fraudulent and that his campaign was going to begin asserting its claim to victory in court.
"It is an honor to congratulate President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory in the U.S. 2020 elections. The President's-elect friendship and distinguished record of support for Israel dates back nearly half a century. I strongly believe that under his leadership the strategic indispensable alliance between our two countries will continue to flourish and prosper," Ashkenazi wrote on Twitter in the early hours of Sunday.
Israel's Defense Minister Benjamin Gantz also congratulated Biden via Twitter, at the same time thanking Trump for "valuable" partnership.
"As the election results become final, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Joe Biden, a long-time supporter and friend of Israel, and to his running mate, Kamala Harris, who has made history as the first woman elected VP. I also wish to thank @realDonaldTrump, a valuable partner of the State of Israel, committed to its security and invested in its future," Gantz tweeted on Sunday morning.
Biden said in his address to the nation on Saturday evening that 74 million people had voted for him. Meanwhile Trump said on Twitter earlier in the day that he had 71,000,000 legal votes and had won the presidential election.
Speaking in Wilmington, Delaware, Biden told the nation that it was time for the Democrats and Republicans to cooperate in the interests of all American people and time "to make America respected around the world again."
Many world leaders and politicians have already offered congratulations to Biden. However, Mexico became the first regional country to officially refrain from congratulating Biden on Saturday, until official results are validated.
