U.S. President Donald Trump addressed Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, on Monday to mark the first phase of his peace plan between Israel and Hamas.
During his speech, Trump publicly called for Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 on charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust.
Highlights
- Trump urged Israeli President Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, calling him 'one of the greatest wartime leaders' despite indictment charges.
- The ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas ended a two-year war that caused over 67,000 deaths and involved hostage releases.
- Trump praised Netanyahu and criticized Obama’s Iran deal, crediting the U.S.' strikes on Iran with enabling the Israel-Gaza peace agreement.
- Knesset Speaker compared Trump to Cyrus the Great, honoring his historic support for Israel and calling for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
Trump publicly asked Israeli President to pardon Benjamin Netanyahu
Image credits: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
“Hey, I have an idea, Mr. President [Isaac Herzog]: Why don’t you give him a pardon? Give him a pardon, come on,” Trump said, pointing at Netanyahu.
Lawmakers broke into chants of Netanyahu’s nickname, “Bibi! Bibi!” and gave him a standing ovation.
Trump added that the statement was not part of his prepared remarks.
“By the way, that was not in the speech, you probably know,” he said, pointing at Herzog. “But I happen to like this gentleman over here, and it just seems to make so much sense.”
Trump added, “And cigars and champagne, who the hell cares?” in reference to allegations that Netanyahu accepted expensive gifts from a billionaire.
Trump’s speech came just hours after Hamas released the last 20 living hostages as part of a ceasefire deal.
The truce paused a two-year war that has killed more than 67,000 people in Gaza.
Under the deal, Israel released more than 1,900 Palestinian prisoners and agreed to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza.
Trump declared the agreement “the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Image credits: Khames Alrefi/Getty Images
“This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of the age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of God,” he said.
“It’s the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel, and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region.”
The ceasefire comes ahead of Israel’s next elections, expected in 2026 but likely to be called earlier.
An Israeli source told CNN that “several months ago, Netanyahu realized the war had become a liability, and he didn’t want to head into elections with hostages still captive, serving as a daily reminder of the October 7 failure.”
Trump and Netanyahu also mentioned Iran in their speeches. Trump criticized former U.S. President Barack Obama for signing the Iran nuclear agreement, calling it a “disaster for Israel.”
Trump said the peace deal would not have been possible without the U.S.' strikes on Iran
Image credits: Evelyn Hockstein/Getty Images
He then mentioned Netanyahu’s efforts to go to the U.S. to discuss the deal with Obama, where “he [Netanyahu] worked so hard … but it was like talking to a wall.”
Trump further said the peace deal between Israel and Gaza would not have been possible without the U.S.’ strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, and suggested that Iran is now ready to make a deal with him.
Back in June, the Trump administration bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities, in Operation Midnight Hammer, which Trump said resulted in “obliteration.”
Netanyahu credited Trump with pro-Israel decisions, including quitting the Iran deal, bombing Iran during the Israel-Iran conflict, and more.
“When others were weak, you were strong. When others were fearful, you were bold. When others abandoned us, you stood by our side,” Netanyahu told Trump.
“Mr. President. Thank you for all you have done for us,” Netanyahu added.
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana compared Trump to Cyrus the Great in his welcoming speech.
“Mr. President [Trump] you stand before the people of Israel not as another American president, but as 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,” he said.
The Persian ruler, Cyrus the Great, has been credited with allowing Jews to return from exile to the land of Israel and helping them rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu thanked Trump for standing with Israel
Image credits: Saul Loeb/Getty Images
The session was briefly interrupted when two left-wing Knesset members holding signs reading “Recognize Palestine” were quickly escorted out, prompting Trump to comment, “That was very efficient.”
Trump, who received a long-standing ovation upon entering the Knesser, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Honor, Herzog announced.
Ohana, in his opening speech, also called upon the attendees to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2026, after his loss this year. The award went to Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado.
Image credits: The White House/Flickr
Trump thanked U.S. Middle East negotiators, including U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, his son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Marco Rubio, whom he called “the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States.”
Members of Trump’s administration in the audience wore red caps that said, “Trump the Peace President,” instead of their slogan, “Make America Great Again.”
Trump concluded his 65-minute speech by saying, “We are going to build a legacy that all the people of this region will be proud of.”
“New bonds of friendship, cooperation, and commerce will join Tel Aviv to Dubai, Haifa to Beirut, Jerusalem to Damascus, and from Israel to Egypt, from Saudi Arabia to Qatar, from India to Pakistan, from Indonesia to Iraq, from Syria to Bahrain, Turkey to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates to Oman, and Armenia to Azerbaijan.”
Trump has since headed to Egypt for a peace summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and other world leaders.