Summary
- A
ceasefire and phased withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza. - Hamas
agreed to release all living and deceased Israeli hostages within 72
hours. - Israel
to release nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees in exchange.
Before legislators in the parliament building on Monday gave
lengthy applause to specific officials of Trump’s administration, members of
the Knesset guard blew trumpets.
Israeli lawmakers praised U.S. officials’ efforts to promote
peace to the region in a series of speeches, hailing senior officials such as
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
Politicians and the small American delegation, which
included Trump’s daughter Ivanka and her husband, advisor Jared Kushner, applauded
and gave Rubio a standing ovation.
After Steve Witkoff’s speech at a rally for the hostages in
Tel Aviv on Saturday was frequently interrupted by jeers at the mention of
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the crowd chanted his name.
Speaker Amir Ohana welcomed “my dear friend and my
absolute favorite rockstar” ambassador Mike Huckabee after thanking the
team in English “for everything that you have done to bring about this
day.”
Huckabee, who sat among top U.S. officials watching the
stage, waved and gave the panel the thumbs up.
As Ohana welcomed the politicians to the parliament
building, they turned to face Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff, Dan Caine.
Together with Witkoff and his spouse, Kushner and Ivanka
were greeted for their representation of the U.S. delegation during the
conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Ivanka was seated in the middle of the U.S. contingent,
looking over the podium.
Speaking in Hebrew during his introductory remarks, Ohana
quoted Witkoff as saying that “we wouldn’t have reached this point if
Prime Minister Netanyahu hadn’t acted the way he did” and commended
Netanyahu for making “very difficult decisions.”
When the president arrived Monday to speak to the parliament
and hear from top Israeli officials, he received a two-and-a-half-minute
standing ovation.
The speaker called Trump “one of the most consequential
presidents in history” and promised to work with U.S. House Speaker Mike
Johnson to support Trump’s bid for the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.
“There is no one more deserving than you, President Trump.
No one!”
he said, met with more applause.
The parliamentarians erupted in yells of “Bibi! Bibi!
Bibi!” as Netanyahu, flanking Trump, ascended the stage.
The Israeli prime minister said,
“Donald Trump is the
greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,”
after enumerating
some of Trump’s accomplishments.
As Trump gestured into the throng, the fans erupted in
chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!”
once more.
Netanyahu continued by praising a potential agreement that
“opens the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond
our region” and “ends the war by achieving all our objectives.”
He said Trump would be the first non-Israeli recipient of
the Israel prize, the country’s highest award.
“As to that other prize, just a question of time. You’ll get
it,”
he joked.
How Israeli lawmakers and opposition reacted to his address?
Numerous Israeli MPs greeted Trump with open arms and praised
his role in mediating the truce and hostage release in Gaza, including Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. Netanyahu called
Trump Israel’s “greatest friend” as they gave Trump and his staff
standing ovations.
Two MPs from the far-left Hadash party, Ayman Odeh and Ofer
Cassif, momentarily interrupted the address by holding signs demanding the
creation of a Palestinian state. As other members applauded, security quickly
escorted them out of the room.
Odeh emphasized the need to recognize a Palestinian state in
order to achieve long-term peace and denounced the Israeli government’s actions
in Gaza. Cassif urged opposition to the measures he described as apartheid and
occupation.
