President Donald Trump arrived at Israel’s Knesset on Monday morning to deliver a historic address before the plenum, marking his first visit since officially recognizing Yerushalayim as Israel’s capital and relocating the U.S. Embassy there.
As the president entered the Knesset, a trumpet fanfare filled the hall, followed by loud applause from lawmakers and guests. Smiling broadly, Trump began his speech with an upbeat tone: “We’re in a nice place.” He added, “We are giving thanks to the Abrahamic God.”
Trump’s next words drew an emotional response from the audience: “The hostages are back! It feels so good to say it,” he declared, as many members rose to their feet. Turning toward Prime Minister Netanyahu, Trump added with a grin, “Netanyahu is not easy to work with, but that’s what makes him great.”
The president predicted a bright future for Israel, saying, “Like the USA right now, it will be the golden age for Israel.”
Reflecting on the ceasefire negotiations that led to the hostages’ release, Trump said, “A lot of people said we were wasting our time,” but noted that “thanks to several great American patriots, we achieved this,” highlighting the efforts of U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff.
He extended his thanks to “someone who loves Israel so much, my daughter converted,” referring to Jared Kushner, and also acknowledged Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reminding the audience that “the two were political rivals before Trump’s 2020 election victory.”
Trump hailed the Gaza agreement as “an incredible triumph for Israel and the world,” adding that Israel “has won all that can be won by force of arms.” He urged both sides to channel those “victories against terrorists” into a lasting peace and a prosperous future for the Middle East.
“My personality is all about stopping wars,” he said. “As you mentioned, Bibi before, peace through strength…We have a lot of weapons, and we’ve given a lot of them to Israel frankly…Bibi would call me sometimes, can you get me this weapon, that weapon, some of them I had never even heard of.”
As he recalled the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, the entire chamber stood in silence before breaking into applause. “Never forget and never again,” Trump declared. “The cruelty of October 7 struck the heart of humanity. The US mourned alongside Israel.”
He added, “Because of us, the long and painful nightmare is finally over.”
Trump praised Israel’s decisive strikes on Iran in June’s Operation Rising Lion and the joint U.S.-Israeli effort in Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iranian nuclear facilities. “We stopped the number one state sponsor of terror in obtaining the world’s most dangerous weapons,” he said.
He continued, “Assuming we made the same deal we have today, there would be a dark cloud over the deal,” before adding, “We took a big cloud off the Middle East and off of Israel.” The hall erupted in applause once more.
During the speech, MKs Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif were expelled from the plenum after displaying a protest sign reading “genocide.” Shouts of “terrorist” echoed across the chamber. Trump remarked that Knesset security handled the situation “in a very efficient” manner.
After his speech, Trump signed the Knesset guest book, writing: “It is a great honor for me – this is a beautiful day, a new beginning. With great respect.”
When reporters asked him in the Knesset hallway whether the Israel-Hamas war was over, Trump replied confidently, “Yes.” He added, “It’s a great day. A whole new beginning. There’s never been an event like it. It’s a great day. I’m so happy for the hostages and their families.”
The session began with remarks from Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, who described Trump as “the greatest friend in Israel’s history.” Ohana said the president was not merely “another American president,” but “a giant of Jewish history – one for whom we must look back two and a half millennia into the mists of time to find a parallel, in Cyrus the Great.”
“What the world needs now is not appeasers who feed the crocodile in the hope that they will be eaten last, like we have seen at the UN General Assembly, but what the world needs now are more leaders who are brave, resolute, strong, and bold. The world needs more Trumps!” Ohana declared, drawing cheers from the plenum.
Addressing Netanyahu in Hebrew, Ohana praised the prime minister’s perseverance throughout the war. “We would not have made it to this point if Prime Minister Netanyahu had not made the efforts he did.”
He described Trump as the “President of Peace,” adding, “There was not a single person on this planet who did more than you to advance peace, no one even came close.” Ohana said Trump’s election last year was “a turning point not only for the US, but the entire world,” calling him “one of the most consequential presidents in history.”
Ohana said Trump “more than any other individual” deserves “the highest recognition for your efforts in promoting peace,” and announced plans to work with U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, saying “there is no one more deserving.”
In his remarks, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his steadfast support over the years — for recognizing Yerushalayim as Israel’s capital, asserting sovereignty over the Golan Heights, defending Israel at the United Nations, and brokering the Abraham Accords in 2020.
He also thanked Trump for the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, noting that “Operation Rising Lion and Operation Midnight Hammer” demonstrated how powerful the alliance had become.
Netanyahu recalled the horror of October 7 and the bravery of Israel’s defenders. “Israel did what it had to do to defend its people, with heroic soldiers who fought like lions,” he said. He also praised Ari, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen who lost three limbs during the war, as a symbol of courage.
The prime minister acknowledged the heavy price Israel paid, saying nearly 2,000 lives were lost, many in battle. “Because of these heroes, our nation will survive, thrive, and have peace,” he said, addressing the bereaved families with deep sympathy.
Netanyahu said that under Trump’s leadership, Iran’s nuclear ambitions were crushed, the Houthis were severely weakened, and the balance of power in the Middle East shifted. “Our enemies now understand just how powerful Israel is; they understand how catastrophic attacking Israel was, and now understand that attacking Israel was a mistake,” he declared.
He noted that diplomatic isolation had intensified before Trump’s election but that “just at that point of maximum pressure on Israel, Trump was elected president, and overnight, everything changed.”
Netanyahu credited Trump’s “unequivocal backing” for helping Israel secure a second hostage deal “within weeks” of his return to office, adding that “Trump’s decision to bomb Fordow was a pivot in history.” He said the strike and the killing of Qasem Soleimani, the “Pivot of Death,” restored America’s global leadership.
Netanyahu announced that he had nominated Trump to become the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize and, referring to the Nobel Peace Prize, quipped, “as to that other prize, it’s only a matter of time.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid also spoke, saying, “For two years we waited for this morning. Two years of sleepless nights, two years without air in our lungs. Our eyes are filled with tears today. Our hearts are filled with gratitude. Our children are coming home.”
Lapid turned to Trump and said, “Mr. President, you have saved the lives of our hostages. But you saved so much more.” He said Trump’s actions also “saved the souls of the bereaved, as well as thousands of soldiers who now will not fall in battle,” quoting the Gemara that one who saves a single life “is as if he saved the entire world.”
“The fact that you were not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is a grave mistake by the committee – but they will have no choice, Mr. President. They will have to award it to you next year,” Lapid added.
He reaffirmed Israel’s strength and permanence: “We are not going anywhere, the Middle East is our home and we are here to stay.”
Lapid also criticized Western protesters for falling victim to propaganda. “You have time to go learn the facts, the truth is there was no genocide, no intentional starvation,” he said. “If you stand with the Iranian regime, Hamas, or Hezbollah, you stand on the side of evil. Those who stand with Israel stand on the side of justice.”
Addressing Trump with a smile, Lapid concluded, “If there was one stock I would invest in today, it would be the State of Israel.”
Earlier, Trump and Netanyahu met privately in the Knesset before greeting freed hostages and their families. The president was accompanied by top officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who received loud applause when mentioned by Ohana.
Also present were U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter, Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Mossad Chief David Barnea, Shin Bet head Maj.-Gen. (res.) David Zini, Hostage Coordinator Brig.-Gen. (res.) Gal Hirsch, and Yerushalayim Mayor Moshe Leon.
In a gesture that underscored their close relationship, Netanyahu and his wife Sara rode with Trump in the U.S. presidential vehicle, “The Beast,” from Ben-Gurion Airport to the Knesset — a break from diplomatic protocol that symbolized the bond between the two leaders and their nations.
{Matzav.com}
