Obama FINALLY calls Netanyahu two days after sweeping election victory

President Barack Obama spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by telephone on Thursday afternoon, two days after his party won a sweeping victory in national elections.

The White House had said he would wait until Israel's president asked Netanyahu to form a coalition government, in keeping with past practice.

On Wednesday morning as Likud party partisans cheered in Tel Aviv, Obama's political strategy director David Simas stopped short of congratulating Netanyahu in a TV interview, only patting Israelis on the back 'for the democratic process – for the election that they just engaged in.'

Netanyahu spent part of Thursday moving politically in the White House's direction, though, clearing the way for a face-saving call from Obama.

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