By Joke Kujenya
THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE filled Israel’s parliament as United States President Donald Trump declared the Gaza ceasefire “the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” marking the first address by an American president to the Knesset since 2008.
The event coincided with the release of the final 20 surviving hostages held by Hamas, ending what Trump described as “two harrowing years in darkness and captivity.”
“This is a day of profound joy,” Trump told Israeli lawmakers in Jerusalem.
“After two harrowing years in darkness and captivity, 20 courageous hostages are returning to the glorious embrace of their families, and it is glorious.”
The address followed the implementation of the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, which secured a ceasefire and a coordinated release of captives on both sides.
As part of the agreement, Israel released 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the two-year Gaza operations.
Trump noted that “the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” calling the moment a turning point for regional peace.
“As the dust settles, the smoke fades, the debris is removed and the ashes clean from the air, a beautiful and much brighter future appears suddenly within your reach,” he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who introduced Trump to the chamber, described the American president as “the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
Addressing lawmakers in Hebrew, Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “unremitting help” in securing the return of the remaining hostages, part of the 251 people seized during the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks.
Netanyahu said, “Everything changed in the American attitude to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza when Trump was re-elected as US president last year.”
He continued in English, “This is your first visit to Israel since you recognised Jerusalem as our capital and moved the embassy here.
“Thank you for recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Thank you for recognising in your 2020 peace plan our rights in Judea and Samaria, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people.
“Thank you for withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. This is only a partial list, but it’s enough to affirm what I’ve said time and again – Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the State of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
The address was repeatedly interrupted by cheers and chants of “Trump, Trump, Trump” from lawmakers.
Suddenly, two left-wing members, Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif, were ejected from the chamber after attempting to display signs calling for recognition of Palestine.
However, their disruptions did little to dampen the jubilant mood, with lawmakers applauding nearly every reference to peace, unity, or Trump’s past diplomatic interventions.
Amir Ohana, the Speaker of the Knesset, praised Trump as “not merely another American president but a giant of Jewish history.”
Drawing a comparison to Cyrus the Great, who freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity in 539 BCE, Ohana said, “We have to look back two and a half millennia into the mists of time to find a parallel.
President Donald J. Trump, you are a colossus who will be enshrined in history thousands of years from now.
The Jewish people will remember you.” He added, “No one is more deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize than you, Mr President. Thousands of years from now, the Jewish people will remember you. We are a nation that remembers.”
The release of the hostages marked the first phase of Trump’s negotiated peace deal between Israel and Hamas.
According to the terms, Hamas was to return all captives, both living and deceased, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters issued a statement expressing disappointment that only four of the 28 bodies of deceased hostages were returned.
“This represents a blatant breach of the agreement by Hamas,” the statement read. “We expect Israel’s government and the mediators to take immediate action to rectify this grave injustice.
The families are enduring especially difficult days filled with deep sorrow. We will not abandon any hostage. The mediators must enforce the agreement’s terms and ensure Hamas pays a price for this violation.”
Israeli and Hamas officials did not immediately comment on the statement.
During his address, Trump publicly recognised Netanyahu’s role in the negotiations, calling him “a man of exceptional courage and patriotism whose partnership did so much to make this momentous day possible.”
Trump added, “He’s not the easiest guy to deal with, but that’s what makes him great.”
Among those attending the Knesset address were key members of Trump’s administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, Joint Chiefs chairman General Dan Caine, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and senior adviser Stephen Miller.
Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who played a key role in coordinating the peace deal alongside Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, were also present.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid joined in praising Trump, telling parliament that the American leader should receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
“When you were elected, you declared that you would be ‘the President of Peace.’You have kept your word,” Lapid said.
“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 continued, “You can be the one to bring the next wave of peace, as you did with the Abraham Accords.
“But it is our responsibility to focus on the next steps. We call upon all the nations of the Islamic world, Saudi Arabia, Syria, others — we are here to stay. We can do great things together. Come talk to us.”
Thereafter, Trump’s remarks to the Knesset mirrored his tone during his previous term, when he brokered normalisation agreements between Israel and several Arab states.
“Because of us, the enemies of all civilisation are in retreat,” he said, declaring that “not only the end of a war” but “the beginning of a magnificent region” was now possible.
Earlier, as Air Force One touched down in Israel, Trump told reporters that “the war is over” and expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold.
He announced plans to chair a new “board of peace” to oversee Gaza’s post-war reconstruction.
“This will be a board for rebuilding lives, restoring hope, and ensuring that Gaza never again becomes a launchpad for terror,” he said.
Trump To Head To Egypt
Following his address to the Knesset, Trump is scheduled to travel to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for a regional peace summit alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and leaders from over 20 nations.
The summit will focus on implementing the next phases of the Gaza peace plan and establishing an international reconstruction framework for the enclave.
The day’s proceedings stressed Israel’s appreciation for Trump’s past and present policies.
Speaker Ohana said, “Your election to the presidency marked a turning point, not only for the United States, but for the entire world.”
Lawmakers stood several times to applaud Trump’s remarks, with many wearing red caps reading “Trump the Peace President.”
Moreover, Netanyahu reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the peace process outlined in Trump’s plan, saying it had “the backing of almost the entire world.”
The prime minister emphasised, “I am committed to this peace — to ensuring that our people and our region finally know the calm and stability we have long sought.”
As the ceremony concluded, Trump’s motorcade departed the Knesset amid chants and waving flags by jubilant Israeli citizens.
Many in attendance noted that the moment symbolised not only an end to years of bloodshed but also a restoration of faith in diplomacy.
In the words of Trump, “The day that breaks on a region transformed, that day is now within your reach.”
