After helping broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and overseeing a hostage-prisoner swap, US President Donald Trump received a grand welcome in the Israeli Parliament (Knesset). Lawmakers stood up and applauded him for nearly two and a half minutes as he entered the hall with his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Once the applause had settled, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana introduced Trump with extremely high praise. He called Trump a “colossus” who would be remembered in history for generations. Ohana compared Trump to Cyrus the Great,  the ancient Persian king who helped the Jewish people return to Jerusalem thousands of years ago. According to Ohana, Trump is not just another American president but a “giant of Jewish history”.

Ohana listed several actions taken by Trump that earned Israel’s respect, including recognising Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, brokering the Abraham Accords with Arab nations, and taking a strong stance against Iran. He even recited a traditional blessing that is said when meeting a king.

Criticising world leaders who recently supported the recognition of Palestine, Ohana said the world did not need “appeasers”, but strong and bold leaders like Trump. He declared, “The world needs more Trumps.” He also addressed the fact that Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize this year, saying Trump deserved it “more than anyone else”.

Ohana promised to gather leaders from various countries to officially nominate Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, with support from US House Speaker Mike Johnson. “Ohana ended his speech by praising Trump’s ‘America First but not America Alone’ approach, saying it brought real change in global politics. 

Trump’s visit to Israel came just before the Gaza Peace Summit in Egypt, where his 20-point peace plan is now being put into action. With the ceasefire in place and hostages exchanged, the coming weeks will show whether Trump’s efforts can lead to long-term peace in the region.