Israeli envoy to the UN sent a phone number on Wednesday purporting to be Netanyahu's office line to the US president on Twitter.

Iran PressMiddle East: On Wednesday, Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon took the perceived slight to social media, tweeting what he said was Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office phone number at Joe Biden. He noted that his boss had not been on the growing list of world leaders that the US president had contacted since taking office on 20 January.

The tweet carries more than the weight of an "it's been forever" talk between friends. After four years of the unconditional, precedent-breaking US support Netanyahu enjoyed under Trump, there is a new US administration in town and an election looming in Israel.

Khalil Jahshan, executive director of the Arab Center Washington DC, said Danon's atypical Twitter overture to Biden stemmed from the unusual nature of relations between the two sides, in which the US treats Israel like a "spoiled child".

"It's behavior typical of a brat," Jahshan told MEE. "When you don't get your way - even on minor things - you feel like it's a zero-sum game. That's the only way to put this type of complaint in context."

Despite the Israeli protest about Biden's apparent snub of Netanyahu, the new US administration has been nothing but reassuring towards Israel, to the dismay of Palestinian rights activists.

Biden, a strong supporter of Israel throughout his long political career, has pledged never to impose conditions on US military assistance to Israel and to keep the American embassy in Jerusalem. 

The newly confirmed Secretary of State Tony Blinken has also said the US commitment to Israel's security remains "sacrosanct", while the administration's envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has vowed to shield Israel from criticism in the international community. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said Washington would consult with Israel on "all matters of regional security".  

Despite such support, Biden has recommitted Washington to the two-state solution and said he intended to resume aid to Palestinians - and revive the nuclear deal with Iran.

Jahshan said Netanyahu's government had "maximalist expectation from Washington" after the Trump presidency. "They do not want to roll back the relationship into a conventional relationship."

And after Netanyahu used his close ties to Trump for domestic political gains, many of his domestic critics have been raising concerns about the fact Biden has not yet called the prime minister, Jahshan added.

Israeli elections that could decide Netanyahu's political fate amid legal trouble are set for March.

Recent history shows that it is uncommon for a new US president not to phone Israeli leaders shortly after taking the oath of office. 

Former President Donald Trump called Netanyahu on January 22, 2017 - two days after being sworn in - and invited the Israeli premier to the White House.

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