Trump Declares “Dawn of Peace” in Historic Knesset Speech as Hostages Return Home on Hoshanah Rabbah
Key Facts
- Release of 20 Israeli hostages coincides with Hoshanah Rabbah, the 7th day of Tabernacles
- Trump declares “end of an era of war and terror” and “dawn of peace” in landmark Knesset speech
- Announces creation of a “Council of Peace” for Gaza reconstruction and regional growth
- Extends diplomatic overture to Iran, calling for “the best decision it will ever make”
by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – As Israel celebrated the emotional return of 20 hostages freed from Hamas captivity, U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a sweeping and historic address to the Israeli Knesset, proclaiming “the end of an era of war and terror” and “the dawn of peace” across the Middle East.
The timing of the release carried deep spiritual resonance for many in Israel. The hostages’ homecoming took place on Hoshanah Rabbah–the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)–a day that marks both solemn reflection and great rejoicing, symbolizing divine deliverance and redemption. The moment came almost exactly two years to the day since their abduction on Shemini Atzeret, the Eighth Day of the Feast, during Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre. Many Israelis saw profound meaning in the fact that their freedom came on the very festival that celebrates salvation and joy.
Speaking to thunderous applause, Trump hailed the day as “the historic dawn of a new Middle East,” declaring that “after so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a Holy Land that is finally at peace.”
Trump’s visit to Jerusalem came just hours after Israeli Air Force helicopters carried home the final 20 living hostages from Gaza. “After two years of darkness and captivity, twenty courageous hostages return into the glorious arms of their families,” the president said, visibly moved. He also honored the memory of 28 others whose remains were returned to Israel for burial, saying, “Twenty-eight more precious loved ones are coming home at last to rest in this sacred soil for all of time.”
The president praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “a courageous and determined leader — not always easy, but extraordinary,” while crediting Arab and Muslim nations for their decisive roles in pressuring Hamas and supporting the ceasefire agreement signed earlier this week in Sharm el-Sheikh. “It is an incredible triumph for Israel and for the world to have all of these nations working together as partners in peace,” Trump said.
In his most far-reaching statement of the evening, Trump announced the creation of a “Council of Peace,” to be composed of leading Arab states tasked with overseeing Gaza’s reconstruction and promoting economic cooperation. “Arab countries now want to invest, not destroy,” he said. “It’s the miracle of the desert — turning weapons into schools, tunnels into hospitals, hatred into prosperity.”
Echoing the spirit of the Abraham Accords, Trump cast his vision for a “transformed, pacified, and prosperous Middle East,” promising a “golden age for Israel and the region, built on faith, hope, and God.”
Turning to Netanyahu, Trump urged the Israeli leader to embrace peace as his enduring legacy. “You’re going to be remembered for this far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going — kill, kill, kill,” he said. “Israel has won all that it can by force of arms. Now it is time to translate these victories into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity.”
In a surprising diplomatic overture, Trump extended a message to Tehran. “Even to Iran, whose regime has inflicted so much death on the Middle East, the hand of friendship and cooperation is open,” he said. “There’s nothing that would do more good for this part of the world than for Iran’s leaders to renounce terror, stop threatening their neighbors, quit funding militant proxies, and finally recognize Israel’s right to exist.”
The president also revisited his record of support for Israel — recognizing Jerusalem as its capital, affirming sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and confronting regional extremism — declaring, “I kept my promises. I did what other presidents never dared do.”
Concluding his hour-long speech, Trump offered a message of unity and faith. “Israel is today stronger, more respected, and more loved than it has ever been. The world loves Israel again. Peace, security, and coexistence can finally flourish.”
Before leaving the chamber, Trump raised his hand in farewell and declared, “I love you. May God bless Israel, may God bless the United States of America, and may God bless the Middle East.”
Analysts in both Washington and Jerusalem are already calling Trump’s Knesset address one of the most consequential ever delivered by a foreign leader in Israel’s parliament — a speech marking both the end of a war and the beginning of what the president called “the age of faith and hope and of God.”
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