‘A new beginning’, says Trump
“This is my great honour, a great and beautiful day. A new beginning,” the US president wrote in a guest book as he arrived in the Israeli Knesset, with Netanyahu and his wife Sara by his side.
Applause for Trump, not so much for Netanyahu
There has been a long round of applause for Trump in the Knesset followed by applause for Netanyahu by members of the Israeli coalition government but not from opposition members in the Israeli parliament, who have remained glued to their seats.
Netanyahu praises Trump
Netanyahu is now addressing the Israeli Knesset, starting with praise for Trump.
“On this day filled with emotion, which will be carved in the history of our people, your name will be carved in the legacy of our nation,” he said in his speech, referring to the US president.
“It has already been carved in the history of humanity.”
Trump Israel’s ‘greatest friend’, Netanyahu reiterates
Netanyahu says Trump is the “greatest friend” Israel has had in the White House. “No American president has ever done more for Israel,” he added. He also praised Trump for:
- Moving the US embassy to Jerusalem in 2018
- Brokering the Abraham Accords
- Recognising Israel’s “sovereignty” over the occupied Golan Heights
Trump’s ‘pivotal leadership’ key to securing deal: Netanyahu
Netanyahu adds that it was Trump’s “pivotal leadership” that got the “backing of almost the entire world” for the deal.
“A proposal that brings all our hostages home, a proposal that ends the war by achieving all our objectives, a proposal that opens the war to a historic expansion of peace in our region and beyond our region,” he said.
“Mr President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace, and together, Mr President, we will achieve this peace.”
Netanyahu criticises governments for ‘turning on Israel’
Without naming any, Netanyahu has accused several governments of buying into “Hamas’s false propaganda”.
“More and more governments succumbed to anti-Semitic mobs in their own countries. They just turned on Israel. They called for us to surrender to Hamas’s demands, just leave Gaza immediately.”
“They said end the war without committing to disarm Hamas, without committing to a demilitarised Gaza.”
This genocide is not over by any long shot, I not optimistic about what will happen after today. The UN better get as much aid in as possible before Netanyahu blocks it all again.
Netanyahu vows to strengthen Abraham Accords
Netanyahu says he is looking forward to “continuing marching with you [Trump] on the path we paved together with the Abraham Accords”.
“Under your leadership, we can forge new peace treaties with Arab countries in the region and Muslim countries beyond the region,” he added.
