He called the return of the remaining hostages a “momentous day of great joy,” adding, “It has been a long journey to get here.”
When Others Abandoned Us, You Stood By Our Side: Netanyahu Thanks Trump For Extraordinary Friendship: US President Donald Trump received a standing ovation from the Israeli Knesset before his address at a special session held in his honour today, as Israel and Gaza exchanged hostages after two years of hostilities.
Addressing the Knesset, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked President Trump for his “extraordinary friendship, for bringing back hostages to Israel, and for supporting Israel’s march to victory, paving a path to peace.”
Netanyahu said, “The Knesset welcomes you and your delegation to the eternal capital of Israel, Jerusalem. This is your first visit to Jerusalem since you recognised it as our capital and moved the embassy here. There are many other reasons to thank you since your last visit. Thank you for recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and thank you for standing up to the lies against Israel at the United Nations.”
“Thank you for brokering the Abraham Accords, withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal, supporting Operation Rising Lion, and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer… A little after midnight, you really hammered them (Iran). Donald Trump is the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House. No American President has ever done more for Israel,” Netanyahu added.
Netanyahu thanked Trump for his “pivotal leadership” and “for putting forth a proposal that received the backing of almost the entire world — a proposal that brings all our hostages home, that ends the war by achieving all our objectives, and that opens the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond. Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, we will achieve this peace. We have done it before, and we will do it again.”
Netanyahu further noted that, according to the Jewish calendar, today marks the end of the war that began on October 7. “You always tell me and the world — remember October 7 — and we remember,” he added.
Reflecting on the aftermath of Hamas’s attack on October 7, Netanyahu said, “We remember the thousands of Hamas terrorists who stormed into our towns. We remember the 1,200 people Hamas savagely slaughtered in cold blood, including dozens of Americans. We remember entire families burnt alive as they embraced each other.”
“In response to this barbaric attack on October 7, Israel did what it had to do,” Netanyahu stated.
He said that since then, Israel has lost nearly 2,000 of its finest soldiers, nearly half of them in battle. “Because of them, our nation will survive, thrive, and achieve peace. Thousands of our soldiers were also injured,” Netanyahu added.
Netanyahu called the October 7 attack a “catastrophic mistake.”
“Our enemies now understand just how powerful and determined Israel is. They understand that attacking Israel on October 7 was a catastrophic mistake. They understand that Israel is here to stay. This is the indispensable foundation of peace through strength,” Netanyahu said.
He called the return of the remaining hostages a “momentous day of great joy,” adding, “It has been a long journey to get here.”
He admitted that, over time, governments around the world turned against Israel following the October 7 attack.
“In the first week of the war, our soldiers put military pressure on Hamas, and the international community put diplomatic pressure on them. But as time went on, we all know what happened — the diplomatic pressure was turned on its head. More and more governments bought into Hamas’s false propaganda. More and more governments succumbed to antisemitic mobs in their own countries. They turned against Israel. They called for us to surrender to Hamas’s demands — to leave Gaza immediately and end the war without committing to disarm Hamas or demilitarize Gaza,” Netanyahu said.
However, he pointed out that when the world turned against Israel, President Trump stood by them.
“In no time, Hamas killers would have been back at the fence, ready to repeat the October 7 horror. But just at that point, a man named Donald J. Trump was elected as the President of the United States — and overnight, everything changed,” Netanyahu continued.
Netanyahu thanked the U.S. President for his “unequivocal backing of Israel.”
“Under your leadership, we can forge peace with Arab nations and the Muslim world beyond Arab nations. The sons of Abraham will work together. President Trump, you brought America back into the driver’s seat. The last two years have been a time of war, but now the future will be one of peace — peace inside Israel, peace outside Israel,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the special session of the Knesset in honour of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Speaking about Trump’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, Netanyahu said, “The fact that you were not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is a grave mistake by the committee. They will have no choice but to award it to you next year.”
Netanyahu further stated that he has submitted Trump’s nomination to be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, the country’s highest award.
“When others were weak, you were strong. When others were fearful, you were bold. When others abandoned us, you stood by our side. On behalf of the government and people of Israel, I thank you for your extraordinary friendship — for helping bring back our hostages home, for supporting Israel’s march to victory, and for paving a path to peace,” Netanyahu said.
Another Israeli official speaking at the special session stated, “Mr. President, you, more than any other individual, deserve the highest recognition for your efforts in promoting peace. We announce that we will rally speakers and parliaments from around the world to submit your candidacy for the Nobel Peace Prize next year.”
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