In an address that echoed through the halls of the Knesset and across the global stage, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered a resounding and historic welcome to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, declaring him "the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House."
Delivered largely in English, Netanyahu’s speech was more than a diplomatic gesture — it was a sweeping affirmation of Trump’s role in shaping Israel’s recent military, diplomatic, and humanitarian breakthroughs. From the Abraham Accords to a newly brokered hostage deal that brought an end to the war in Gaza, Netanyahu painted Trump not only as a powerful ally but as a decisive actor who reshaped the Middle East “overnight.”
"Just at that point of maximum diplomatic pressure on Israel, a man named Donald J. Trump was elected President of the United States," Netanyahu said. "And, ladies and gentlemen, overnight — overnight! — everything changed." That applause line underscored what the rest of the speech would illustrate: Netanyahu credits Trump not simply for supporting Israel, but for achieving what many thought politically or diplomatically impossible.
CNN: For the first time in over two years, Hamas holds no living hostages in its captivity. pic.twitter.com/oMjHWCC6EL
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 13, 2025
The new hostage deal, facilitated by Trump and his aides — including Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — was hailed as a turning point. Netanyahu praised the deal not only for securing the release of hostages but for galvanizing international support, particularly from the Arab world. “You brought most of the Arab world — you brought most of the world! — behind your proposal,” Netanyahu emphasized. “With our military pressure, and President Trump’s global leadership, we achieved this historic moment.”
But Netanyahu’s remarks were not confined to strategy and statecraft. He paid tribute to the pain and sacrifice endured by Israeli families — nearly 2,000 soldiers lost, hundreds of civilians massacred in the October 7 Hamas attack, and countless others permanently wounded. He cited specific stories, including that of American-Israeli soldier Ari Spitz, who lost both legs and a hand in Gaza, and Sabine Taasa, watching from Los Angeles, whose husband and eldest son were killed in a Hamas grenade attack.
These stories, Netanyahu said, are the soul of Israel’s struggle — and the reason why security must never be compromised. “Our heroic soldiers fought on the front lines between civilization and barbarism,” he said. “But the price of these victories has been heavy.”
The Prime Minister also pushed back against international critics who, in his words, had fallen for “Hamas propaganda.” And in a striking political moment, Netanyahu announced he had nominated Trump for the Israel Prize, the nation’s highest honor — a nomination unprecedented for a non-Israeli.
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, typically a sharp Netanyahu critic, also addressed the Knesset and praised Trump’s role in saving Israeli lives. Citing the Talmud, Lapid said, “Whoever saves one life, saves the entire world… You saved the lives of our hostages.” He then delivered a stern message to foreign critics of Israel: “There was no genocide. They played with your minds, selling you that supporting Islamic terror is somehow a liberal value.”
The speech closed on a note of hope. Quoting Ecclesiastes, Netanyahu spoke of a time for war and a time for peace, linking the biblical refrain to the Sukkot holiday and the possibility of expanding peace through new treaties in the Arab and Muslim world.
“I believe that with President Trump’s leadership, this will happen a lot faster than people think,” Netanyahu declared.
