Prime Minister Naftali Bennett spoke to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and assured him that he would support Yair Lapid as interim prime minister, the Prime Minister's Office said on Wednesday.
Blinken thanked Bennett for his actions to strengthen U.S.–Israel relations during his year in office and informed him he would continue to cooperate with him on matters of Iran.
On Tuesday, Blinken confirmed to Lapid that U.S. President Joe Biden still plans to visit Israel next month
Blinken "underscored our respect for democratic processes and reiterated our unwavering commitment to the strong U.S.-Israel strategic relationship," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.
"Blinken emphasized our continuing close coordination on regional and global issues," he said.
Price earlier told reporters: "The strength of our relationship does not depend on who sits in the Oval Office. It doesn't depend on who sits in the prime minister's chair in Israel."
The snap election could see a comeback bid by Benjamin Netanyahu, the veteran right-wing politician who had a tense relationship with former U.S. president Barack Obama, under whom Biden was vice president.
The coalition government led by the right-wing Naftali Bennett and centrist Lapid had sought to tone down and depoliticize Israel's relations with the United States, Israel's crucial ally.
Netanyahu had rallied behind the U.S. Republican Party, especially in its hawkish line on Iran and opposition to a nuclear deal with Tehran negotiated under Obama.
Netanyahu's stance and Israel's rightward turn in handling the Palestinian issue have alienated left-leaning members of Biden's Democratic Party, which historically supported Israel.