OCCUPIED AL-QUDS (Dispatches) – U.S. President Donald Trump was heckled and briefly interrupted by two MPs during an address at Israel’s parliament here Monday, during which he hailed a “historic dawn” for West Asia.
Ofer Cassif and Ayman Odeh were subsequently dragged out by Israeli security officials, with banners snatched from them. Before being removed, Odeh held up a piece of paper which read: “Recognize Palestine!”
After being thrown out, Odeh wrote on X: “They removed me from the plenum just because I raised the simplest demand, a demand that the entire international community agrees on: To recognize a Palestinian state.
“To recognize this simple reality: There are two peoples here, and neither is going anywhere.”
Cassif also held up the same poster. 
“We didn’t come to disturb, but to demand justice. True peace that will save both peoples of this land from destruction will only come with the end of the occupation and apartheid and the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he wrote on X.
“Refuse to be occupiers! Resist the government of bloodshed!”
Trump on Monday became only the fourth U.S. president to address Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, and the first since 2008.
He was speaking to mark the U.S.-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that saw a prisoner exchange take place on Monday.
Trump delivered a series of unapologetic and brazen statements praising Israel’s military aggression and calling for regional alignment with Israeli interests, despite the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
Trump declared that Israel “became strong and powerful, which led to peace,” adding provocatively, “Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms.” 
He expressed gratitude to Muslim and Arab nations, allied with the U.S., for facilitating a ceasefire, boldly dubbing the moment “the golden age of Israel and the golden age of the Middle East.”
Further fueling tensions, Trump claimed that the “entire region” supports disarming Hamas and announced that his administration is assisting Lebanon in disarming Hezbollah—groups central to resistance in the region.
In a brazen appeal, Trump urged countries without diplomatic ties to Israel to “do me a favor” and join the Abraham Accords, pushing for further normalization regardless of ongoing genocide.
Ahead of Trump’s address, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke, thanking Trump for several contentious policies: moving the U.S. embassy to Occupied Al-Quds, recognizing what he claimed as Israeli sovereignty over Syria’s Golan Heights, withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal, and endorsing Israeli control over the occupied West Bank. Netanyahu also awarded Trump the Israel Prize, the illegal entity’s so-called highest cultural honor.
In a stunning moment, Trump urged Israeli president Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, referencing the prime minister’s ongoing corruption charges. “Cigars and some champagne—who the hell cares?” Trump said dismissively, undercutting serious allegations of fraud.
In perhaps the most disturbing moment of the speech, Trump revealed how he encouraged Netanyahu to pursue a ceasefire only after an extended period of bloodshed.
“I said, Bibi, you’re going to be remembered for this far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going — kill, kill,” Trump recounted, before congratulating the Zionist prime minister for declaring victory and moving on. 
Trump framed the ceasefire as an act of political courage by Netanyahu, despite widespread criticism of Israel’s brutal military onslaught in Gaza. Israeli forces have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians since October 2023, with leaked military data indicating that at least 80% were civilians. 
The assault has led to widespread famine and destroyed nearly all infrastructure in Gaza, including homes, hospitals, schools, mosques, and churches.
Both Netanyahu and former war minister Yoav Gallant currently face arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court over war crimes in Gaza—yet Trump’s speech notably ignored these grave accusations.
The address was widely condemned as tone-deaf and impudent, celebrating a militarized status quo that has devastated Palestinian lives and fueled regional instability.