U.S. President Donald Trump, addressing Israeli lawmakers on October 13, 2025, asserted that Israel had achieved all it could through military force and must now pivot towards fostering peace in the Middle East. His statement followed two years of intense conflict against Hamas and repeated clashes with Hezbollah and Iran.
Despite the fragile nature of the U.S.-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas, President Trump expressed strong determination to leverage this moment for achieving lasting regional harmony.
Addressing the Knesset, Trump proclaimed, ‘Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change.’
He emphasized, ‘Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms. You’ve won. Now it is time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.’
President Trump pledged American assistance for the reconstruction of Gaza, which has suffered immense devastation during the conflict. He also implored Palestinians to ‘turn forever from the path of terror and violence.’
He further stated, ‘After tremendous pain and death and hardship, now is the time to concentrate on building their people up instead of trying to tear Israel down.’
In a surprising move, Trump also indicated a willingness to extend an olive branch to Iran, a nation whose nuclear sites had been bombed by the U.S. earlier this year during its short-lived conflict with Israel. He conveyed this by stating, ‘The hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.’
Following his address, the U.S. President was slated to attend a summit in Egypt with over two dozen nations. However, he was reportedly running hours behind schedule due to the unexpectedly prolonged speeches at the Knesset.
Jokingly, after playfully chiding Israeli leaders for their extensive speeches, Trump quipped, ‘They might not be there by the time I get there, but we’ll give it a shot.’
While there was initial speculation, and even an announcement from Egypt, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would join, his office later confirmed he would not attend, citing the proximity of the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
Crucially, all 20 hostages were released on October 13, 2025, as part of the agreement designed to conclude the war that originated with an attack by Hamas-led militants on October 7, 2023. President Trump potentially met some of the freed hostages at the Sheba Medical Center and engaged with their families during his time at the Knesset.
During his address, Israeli lawmakers continuously chanted President Trump’s name, giving him a prolonged standing ovation. Among the audience, several individuals wore red hats, reminiscent of his iconic ‘Make America Great Again’ caps, but these were emblazoned with ‘Trump, The Peace President.’
Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Trump unequivocally, declaring him ‘the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House,’ and committed to future collaboration.
Netanyahu affirmed, ‘Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, Mr. President, we will achieve this peace.’ However, the situation remains delicate, as both Israel and Hamas are only just beginning to implement the initial phase of Trump’s peace initiative.
This initial phase of the ceasefire agreement outlines the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, the liberation of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel, a significant increase in humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, and a partial withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza’s primary urban areas.
With families anticipating joyful reunions and Palestinians desperately needing humanitarian assistance, Trump believes this presents a critical, narrow window to fundamentally reshape the region and mend the historically strained relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.