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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday nominated US President Donald Trump for the Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honour, hailing him as "the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House."
The announcement came during a historic session of the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, where Trump was welcomed with a prolonged standing ovation and honoured for his leadership in brokering a peace deal that has led to the release of all 20 living hostages and a formal end to the two-year war with Hamas. "I have seen many US presidents, but I have never seen anyone move the world so quickly and decisively as our friend President Donald J Trump," Netanyahu said during his address. Netanyahu also praised Trump's record on Israel, including his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the relocation of the US embassy, acknowledgement of Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, support at the United Nations, and his role in initiating the Abraham Accords. "You've already been etched in the history of humanity... We remember our friends, and we know your important and decisive role in bringing back the rest of our hostages." Netanyahu told Trump, as quoted by the Times of Israel. The remark by the Israeli Prime Minister came after Hamas released all 20 living hostages earlier today. Trump arrived in Israel on Monday as the exchange of hostages continued. He is scheduled to attend the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh to advance his Gaza peace plan. In his address, Netanyahu also credited Trump with presenting a peace proposal that achieved all of Israel's war objectives and "opened the door to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond." "President Trump, we welcome you here to thank you for your pivotal leadership for the proposal that got the backing of the entire world. A proposal that brings all our hostages home. A proposal that ends the war by meeting all our objectives," the Israeli PM said. Earlier, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana compared Trump to Cyrus the Great, the ancient Persian ruler who enabled Jews to return to Jerusalem from exile. "Mr President, you stand before the people of Israel not as another American president, but as a giant of Jewish history," Ohana declared, adding that Trump will be remembered "thousands of years from now." Trump, standing at the Knesset rostrum, received a two-and-a-half-minute standing ovation, with trumpets played by the Knesset Guard. Accompanying him were senior officials, including Trump's Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, all of whom were also warmly applauded by the Israeli lawmakers, as reported by the Times of Israel. According to the Times of Israel, Monday marked the end of the two-year war, which began with the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks that claimed over 1,200 Israeli lives and resulted in the abduction of 251 people. All 20 living hostages returned to Israel earlier today. As per the Israeli government, the hostages were identified as Elkana Bohbot, Avinatan Or, Yosef-Haim Ohana, Evyatar David, Rom Braslavski, Segev Kalfon, Nimrod Cohen, Maxim Herkin, Eitan Horn, Matan Zangauker, Bar Kupershtein, David Cunio, Ariel Cunio, Gali, Ziv Berman, Matan Angrest, Alon Ohel, Omri Miran, Eitan Mor, and Guy Gilboa-Dallal and were safely escorted out of the Gaza Strip by special Israeli forces after they were transferred to the Red Cross by Hamas. (ANI)
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