Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US Secretary of State John Kerry for blocking an Egyptian-led drive on a possible Middle East nuclear arms ban at a United Nations conference, Israeli newspaper Jerusalem Post quoted an Israeli official as saying on Saturday.

It was a rare message of thanks from Netanyahu, who has repeatedly accused President Barack Obama of undermining Israel's security by attempting to reach a nuclear deal with Iran.

Netanyahu spoke with Kerry "to convey his appreciation to President Obama and to the secretary," a senior Israeli official said on condition of anonymity.

"The United States kept its commitment to Israel by preventing a Middle East resolution that would single out Israel and ignore its security interests and the threats posed to it by an increasingly turbulent Middle East," the official added.

Israel also thanked Britain and Canada for joining the United States in blocking consensus at the conference, the official said.