US President Donald Trump said he had telephoned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to discuss the possibility of moving ahead with a US-Israel joint defense treaty.
Trump said in a tweet that he looked forward to continuing these talks during a meeting with Netanyahu on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly after the Israeli elections scheduled for September 17.
The timing of Trump's tweet appeared days before Israel's election on Tuesday aimed at bolstering Netanyahu's efforts to stay in power by showing their strong relationship.
Opinion polls show the race will be close five months after an inconclusive election that Netanyahu declared himself the winner, but failed to form a governing coalition.
Netanyahu's Likud now has a strong rapprochement with the centrist Blue White party of former armed forces commander Benny Gantz, who has focused heavily on the impending corruption charges Netanyahu will face.
Trump and Israel
Trump has already boosted Netanyahu's chances of winning ahead of previous elections when he recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights this year.
Some Israeli officials have promoted the idea of benefiting from Netanyahu's strong ties with the Trump administration by concluding a new defense pact with the United States, focusing in particular on guarantees to help it in any potential conflict with Iran.
But some critics of Netanyahu say such an agreement could restrict Israel and deprive it of its military independence.
Trump has repeatedly boasted that he is the most pro-Israeli American president. He has cut humanitarian aid to the Palestinians in exchange for US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
The Palestinian Authority has since severed official contacts with the Trump administration, saying it is not an honest broker.