After brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and overseeing the exchange of hostages and detainees on Monday, US President Donald Trump received thunderous applause in Israel's parliament, with lawmakers greeting the 79-year-old with a two-and-a-half-minute standing ovation.
When Trump took the stage, accompanied by special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Knesset erupted in applause, with Israeli lawmakers applauding the US president for his role in the current cessation of hostilities between Tel Aviv and Hamas.
As the din died down, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana introduced the US president, calling the 79-year-old a “colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history” and calling Trump an icon that the Jewish people would remember “thousands of years from now.”
Ohana read a list of Trump's achievements, from recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital to brokering the Abraham Accords and attacking Iran's nuclear facilities, and recited the blessing to be said at the sight of a king: The times of Israel reported.
'A giant of Jewish history'
“Mr. President, 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,” Ohana continued, praising the American president, who arrived in Israel on Monday for a brief stop ahead of the Gaza peace summit in Egypt.
The reference to Cyrus the Great harkens back to the Persian king who allowed Jews to return from exile in Babylon and rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.
Ohana lashed out at recent statements by world leaders recognizing the state of Palestine, stating: “What the world needs now are not conciliators who feed the crocodile in the hope that they will be eaten last – like the kind we recently saw at the UN General Assembly.”
“What the world needs now are more leaders who are courageous, determined, strong and bold. The world needs more Trumps,” the Knesset speaker said emphatically, adding that “no person” on earth “did more than you.” [Trump] to promote peace.”
Commenting on the US president missing out on a Nobel Peace Prize despite his self-proclaimed role in stopping several conflicts around the world, Ohana assured Trump that no one was more worthy of this prestigious honor.
Ohana emphasized that Trump deserved the award “more than any other individual,” adding that he and House Speaker Mike Johnson would “bring together speakers and presidents of parliaments from around the world to submit your candidacy” for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.
“America first, but not America alone,” Ohana concluded, tipping his hat to Trump's policies.
Ohana's comments come days after Trump missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, despite very public lobbying about his worthiness for the award.
Days before the announcement, Trump brokered perhaps the most important ceasefire in recent times, ending more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas, sparked by the Palestinian militant group's attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023.
With the hostage swap between Hamas and Israel taking place on Monday, Trump's 20-point peace plan for Gaza is already in effect and the coming weeks will be crucial for the US president and other involved parties as they seek lasting peace in the disputed region.
