Talking within the Knesset with President Donald J. Trump at the moment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netantyahu thanked the Presidnnt and america and niminated Trump for Israel’s highest award. the Israel Award. “And as for that different prizse (the Nobel Peace Prize), “It’s solely a matter of time”, Netanyahu mentioned.
Benjamin Netanyahu: President Trump, the Knesset welcomes you and your distinguished delegation to Jerusalem, our everlasting capital. That is your first go to to Israel because you acknowledged Jerusalem as our capital and transfer the embassy right here, thanks, President Trump, for that. [APPLAUSE]
There are various different causes to thanks, since your final go to right here. Thanks for recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. [APPLAUSE]
Thanks for standing as much as the lies in opposition to Israel and the United Nations. [APPLAUSE]
Thanks for recognizing in your 2020 peace plan our rights in Judea and Samaria, the ancestral homeland of the Jewish individuals. [APPLAUSE]
Thanks for brokering the historic Abraham Accords. [APPLAUSE]
Thanks for withdrawing from the disastrous Iran nuclear deal. [APPLAUSE]
Thanks for supporting Operation Rising Line and on your daring resolution to launch Operation Midnight Hammer. Boy, is that, you gotta hear this. [APPLAUSE]
That is essentially the most becoming title ever named for a army operation, as a result of just a little after midnight, you actually hammered them. [APPLAUSE]
My mates, that is solely a partial listing, nevertheless it’s sufficient to affirm what I’ve mentioned repeatedly. Donald Trump is the best good friend that the state of Israel has ever had within the White Home. [APPLAUSE]
No American president has ever carried out extra for Israel. And as I mentioned in Washington, it ain’t even shut. It’s actually not a match. Mr. President, at the moment, we welcome you right here to thanks on your pivotal management in placing ahead a proposal that obtained the backing of virtually the complete world. A proposal that brings all our hostages house. [APPLAUSE]
A proposal that ends the warfare by attaining all our goals. [APPLAUSE]
A proposal that opens the door to an historic enlargement of peace in our area and past our area. Mr. President, you’re dedicated to this peace. I’m dedicated to this peace. And collectively, Mr. President, we are going to obtain this peace. [APPLAUSE]
We’ve carried out it earlier than. We’ve carried out it earlier than within the Abraham Accords, and we’ll do it once more. Mr. President, at the moment the Jewish calendar marks the top of two years of warfare. That warfare started on October seventh, on the Jewish competition of Simchat Torah. You at all times inform me, and also you inform the world, bear in mind October seventh. Mr. President, we bear in mind. We bear in mind the 1000’s of Hamas terrorists who stormed into our cities in Kibbutzim. We bear in mind the 1,200 individuals Hamas savagely slaughtered in chilly blood, together with dozens and dozens of Individuals. We bear in mind complete households burnt alive as they embraced one another. We bear in mind the attractive younger Israelis brutally gunned down on the Nova Music Competition. We bear in mind the a whole lot of our residents who have been dragged into the dungeons of Gaza, together with 12 Individuals, women and men, younger and outdated, infants and aged Holocaust survivors.
My mates, Mr. President, Donald, these monsters take infants as hostages. In response to this barbaric assault on October seventh, Israel did what it needed to do. With indomitable braveness, we got down to defend our individuals, to defeat our enemies, and to launch our hostages. Our heroic troopers fought like lions. They fought on the entrance traces of civilization and barbarism. Israel achieved wonderful victories over Hamas and the complete Iran terror axis. (Yahya) Sinwar, (Mohammed) Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, (Hassan) Nasrallah, (Hafez) Assad – they’re all gone. Iran’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile program together with your monumental assist, Mr. President, rolled again. Half the Houthi management worn out.
However the value of this victory, the value of those victories, has been heavy. Practically 2,000 of Israel’s best have been misplaced, almost half in battle. They’re left behind – dad and mom, spouses, siblings and youngsters. Their love and laughter, their promise and potential, have been misplaced perpetually. To the households of our fallen fighters – a lot of them are right here – I say, I do know the depth of your ache. I do know the inconsolable grief that can accompany you for the remainder of your lives. The State of Israel bows its head in everlasting gratitude to our fallen heroes.
Due to these heroes, our nation will survive. Due to these heroes, our nation will thrive. And due to these heroes, our nation may have peace. Mr. President, 1000’s of our courageous troopers have been additionally wounded, struggling horrible blows to physique and soul.
“Every single day is a brand new alternative to push boundaries and redefine what’s doable. I’ll have misplaced components of my physique, however my spirit stays unbroken, and I’d do it yet again for my nation and my brothers.”
Ari Spitz misplaced each his legs, one hand, and a part of his different… pic.twitter.com/5ax8K2bCFz
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) December 20, 2024
Courageous troopers like Ari Spitz. Ari is an American. Ari is an American Israeli who was injured. Ari is an American Israeli who was injured in Gaza whereas looking for Hamas terrorists and weapons. Two of Ari’s comrades have been killed on this motion and 10 have been injured. Ari was presumed lifeless however made a miraculous restoration regardless of shedding three limbs. Ari, arise for a minute alone. Get up. There you go. There. Ari. Ari, you’re the spirit of Joshua. You’re the spirit of David. You’re the spirit of the Maccabees. You’re the spirit of Israel. I salute you. All of us salute you.
Sabine Tassa of Kibbutz Netiv Asara is watching us at the moment from the Israeli consulate in Los Angeles. Sabine misplaced her husband and her oldest son on October seventh. She is the mom of three different boys. Two of them, Koren and Shai, witnessed their father soar on a Hamas grenade to save lots of his two sons. All of us noticed the movie of these two boys crying out in ache. “Father is lifeless. Why? Why did God save me?” Mr. President, my good friend Donald, I’ve seen some very powerful issues in my life. However I couldn’t deliver myself to look at these boys struggling once more. So I didn’t see this movie besides as soon as. But Sabine, their mom, has had the energy and fortitude to point out this movie internationally. And my spouse Sarah and I requested her, “Sabine, how do you do it? Why do you do it?” And she or he answered, “I do it to point out the complete world the monsters Israel is preventing and the justice of our trigger.” That is what she’s doing as soon as once more in Los Angeles. Sabine, you may hear me now. So I wish to let you know on behalf of all of us, you embody the spirit of our biblical heroines, Deborah, Ruth, and Esther. You too are the spirit of Israel and all of us salute you. ([APPLAUSE]
Mr. President, you requested me on our many conversations throughout the 12-day warfare with Iran, you requested me, “How are the individuals holding up?” And I mentioned to you, “Our persons are sturdy. Israelis are a nation of lions with limitless resolve to defend our nation and safe our future. The individuals, the individuals give energy to our troopers and the individuals give energy to me and to my colleagues. The Jewish individuals have risen from the ashes repeatedly, however once we fashioned the State of Israel and the Military of Israel, we pledged by no means once more, by no means once more could be defenseless in opposition to our enemies. [APPLAUSE]
And that, that resolute energy not solely assures our survival, it assures our future, it assures peace. We have now paid, we have now paid a excessive value for this warfare. However our enemies now perceive simply how highly effective and simply how decided Israel is. They perceive that attacking Israel on October seventh was a catastrophic mistake. They perceive that Israel is robust and that Israel is right here to remain. And this, Mr. President, is the indispensable basis of peace, peace via energy. Girls and gents, this can be a momentous day, a day of nice pleasure, because the remaining hostages come house. My spouse, Sarah, and I’ve met with the hostage households many instances. There have been no phrases to explain their agony, solely tears of bottomless sorrow and unimaginable ache. In the beginning of the warfare, I promised to deliver all of the hostages house. At present, with the indispensable assist, the decided and centered assist, the unremitting assist of President Trump and his workforce, and with the unbelievable sacrifice and braveness of the troopers of Israel, we’re fulfilling that promise. [APPLAUSE]
It has been an extended journey to get right here. Within the first week of the warfare, our courageous troopers put army strain on Hamas and the worldwide neighborhood put diplomatic strain on them. This enabled us to safe the discharge of over 100 hostages. In heroic rescue makes an attempt behind enemy traces, Israel’s particular forces rescued eight dwell hostages and introduced again the stays of dozens extra. However as time went on, everyone knows what occurred. The diplomatic strain was turned on its head.
Increasingly more governments purchased into Hamas’ false propaganda. Increasingly more governments succumbed to anti-Semitic mobs in their very own international locations. They simply turned on Israel. They referred to as for us to give up to Hamas’ calls for. “Simply go away Gaza instantly,” they mentioned. “Finish the warfare with out committing to disarm Hamas, with out committing to demilitarize Gaza.”
Had Israel succumbed to these calls for, not solely would the Sinwar, Nasrallah, Assad, and Iran’s missile and nuclear program stay intact. Not solely that, as a result of very quickly, the Hamas killers could be again on the border fence, able to repeat the horrors of October seventh many times. As they vowed to do.
However simply at that time, simply at that time of most strain on Israel, a person named Donald J. Trump was elected President of america. And girls and gents, in a single day, in a single day, all the things modified. Every part.
Mr. President, due to your unequivocal backing of Israel, we secured a second hostage deal inside weeks of your election. And within the months that adopted, we labored intently collectively to forge a path to deliver the remaining hostages house and finish the warfare, finish the warfare in a approach that ensures the disarming of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, and that Gaza would by no means once more pose a menace to Israel. Two months in the past, you absolutely backed my resolution to ship the IDF into the final Hamas stronghold in Gaza Metropolis. You shared my view that this army strain would assist free the hostages. And regardless of all of the criticism, all of the naysayers, we have been proper. Hamas caved in.
And two weeks in the past, you succeeded in doing one thing miraculous. You succeeded in doing one thing that nobody believed was doable. You introduced many of the Arab world – you introduced many of the world behind your proposal to free the hostages and finish the warfare.
I wish to thank Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, and Ron Dermer for his or her nice contribution to this effort. And I wish to thank our negotiating workforce. I consider that the shut cooperation between the 2 of us, between our two nations, combining Israel’s army strain and President Trump’s unmatched international management – I’ve to let you know, I’ve seen loads of American presidents. I’ve seen all of them within the time that I’ve been right here, and I’ve been right here various time. I’ve by no means seen anybody transfer the world so rapidly, so decisively, so resolutely as our good friend President Donald J. Trump.
With our army strain and President Trump’s international management, we achieved this historic second. It’s a second of indescribable pleasure as our nation embraces our sons who’re coming house. Mr. President, this week, Jews all over the world – Jews all over the world are going to learn the ebook of Ecclesiastes, Kohelet, within the Bible. The Bible has many miraculous moments.
One in every of them was your resolution to bomb Fordow. I believe it was a pivot of historical past, as a result of it wasn’t meant solely to bomb Fordow. That motion and your earlier motion of taking out Qasem Soleimani, the architect of dying, I believe that modified the steadiness of energy on this planet. You introduced America again once more to the motive force’s seat.
Now, I mentioned that we have been going to learn this week the ebook of Ecclesiastes. It’s not a ebook of motion. It’s a ebook of meditations, of thought, of perspective on life and on dying. And on this ebook, we learn the immortal phrases of King Solomon. “To all the things there’s a season, and a time for each matter below heaven.” Et milchama ve’et shalom. A time for peace and a time for warfare. The final two years have been a time of warfare. The approaching years will hopefully be a time for peace.
Peace inside Israel and peace exterior Israel. I sit up for persevering with marching with you on the trail we paved along with the Abraham Accords. Below your management, we are able to forge new peace treaties with Arab international locations within the area and Muslim international locations past the area. Abraham’s youngsters will work collectively to construct a greater future, a future that can unite civilization in opposition to barbarism, mild in opposition to darkness, and hope in opposition to despair. And my mates, I consider that with President Trump’s management, this may occur rather a lot sooner than individuals suppose.
As Prime Minister of Israel, I prolong my hand to all those that search peace with us. Nobody needs peace greater than the individuals of Israel. Israel will at all times stay vigilant in defending itself. And Israel will at all times stay stuffed with hope. Hope is our nationwide anthem. Hope is our creed. Hope is our energy. It’s time, my mates, to comprehend that hope and broaden the circle of peace.
Mr. President, thanks for all you’ve carried out for us. I’ve submitted your nomination to be the primary non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, Israel’s highest award. As to that different prize, only a query of time. You’ll get it. However I need you to get the Israel Prize, our highest award, to our best good friend.
When others have been weak, you have been sturdy. When others have been fearful, you have been daring. When others deserted us, you stood by our facet. On behalf of the federal government and folks of Israel, I thanks on your extraordinary friendship. Thanks for serving to deliver our hostages house. Thanks for supporting Israel’s march to victory. Thanks for paving a path to peace.
(In Hebrew) Honored President, welcome to Israel. Welcome to Jerusalem. Welcome on this thrilling time that introduced us to this present day. Might God bless America, could God bless Israel, and will God bless the covenant between our two promised lands. Thanks, Mr. President.
