As U.S. President Donald Trump flew to Israel on Monday, his plane passed over the words “THANK YOU” written on the beach in Tel Aviv. Aboard Air Force One, Trump declared to reporters that “the war is over,” referring to the more than two-year conflict in Gaza between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.
As part of a new cease-fire the U.S. helped to broker last week, seven Israeli hostages were set free just before Trump touched down, and the other 13 remaining living hostages were handed over to the Red Cross, while over 1,700 Palestinians detained by Israel were prepared for release to Gaza and 250 to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and other countries later Monday in exchange.
When Trump arrived, he was greeted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Trump reportedly told Netanyahu, “It’s a great day. Maybe your best day,” to which Netanyahu responded, “This is history.”
Trump was received like a hero in Israel—in Jerusalem, a billboard said “You are our winner,” with an image of him on a medal, just days after Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize that Netanyahu had nominated him for.
Herzog, for his part, said he intends to award Trump with Israel’s Presidential Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest honor for a civilian. “From his unwavering support for the State of Israel, to the advent of the Abraham Accords which expanded the circle of peace in our region, from the two historic agreements that brought our dear hostages home and saved countless lives, to the decisive strike on Iran’s nuclear program, President Trump’s voice has always been one of courage and leadership, and of steadfast commitment to the pursuit of peace and humanity,” Herzog’s office said in a statement.
Still, not everyone wants—or is able—to celebrate.
The swapping of hostages is only one part of the two-phase cease-fire deal. A second phase remains tenuous and is still up for negotiation, given how aspects of it—like the scope of the Israel Defense Forces’ withdrawal from Gaza and future deployments, as well as who governs Gaza after the war—may be difficult to reach an agreement on. Israel has also been less willing than Trump to characterize the war as over, especially as Hamas has said it will not disarm unless a sovereign Palestinian state is established, which Israel opposes.
From the airport, Trump proceeded to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to address Israeli lawmakers. Former President George W. Bush was the last U.S. President to speak before the Knesset, in 2008.
Knesset staff reportedly distributed red “MAGA-style” caps that read, “TRUMP THE PEACE PRESIDENT,” to those in the audience.
“After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace,” Trump said to the Israeli lawmakers, as he entered the Knesset plenum hall about two hours behind schedule, after meeting with the families of some hostages, and took the microphone after Speaker Amir Ohana, Netanyahu, and Leader of the Opposition Yair Lapid—all of whom showered praise on the U.S. President and said he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize.
“This is not only the end of a war. This is the end of a age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope and of god. It’s the start of a grand concord and lasting harmony for Israel and all the nations of what will soon be a truly magnificent region,” Trump continued. “This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East.”
Trump was briefly interrupted by a protester who was quickly ushered out of the hall while he was thanking and praising his negotiating team—including U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Marco Rubio, whom Trump said would “go down as the greatest Secretary of State in the history of the United States.” Trump also thanked Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and he praised his own “peace through strength” doctrine.
After Trump’s speech, he will fly next to Egypt, where he is expected to join a Middle East summit, which gathers some 20 international leaders, including Mahmoud Abbas, the President of the Palestinian Authority, though Netanyahu will not attend.
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