- Two lawmakers were displaying signs that said “Recognize Palestine" during Trump's speech
- Security moved in swiftly and removed them from the parliament’s main chamber
- The US president quipped "that was efficient", prompting a burst of applause
"So back to Steve (Witkoff)," said Trump and began again after being disrupted by protesters mid-speech during his address to the Israeli parliament Monday morning, hours after Hamas released the last 20 living hostages from Gaza and Israel began releasing nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners as part of a cease-fire deal brokered in part by the United States.
Aymen Odeh and Ofer Cassif, two left-wing lawmakers belonging to a joint Palestinian-Israeli political party, were ejected from parliament during President Trump's speech for displaying signs that said “Recognize Palestine”.
The security personnel moved in swiftly and took them out, while Trump stood at the podium, watching the proceedings. The remaining lawmakers clapped a big round of applause.
"Sorry about that, Mr president," the Knesset speaker told Trump.
The US president quipped "that was efficient", prompting another burst of applause from Israeli parliamentarians and chants of 'Trump'.
Trump then heaped praise on US special envoy to Middle East Steve Witkoff and his son-in law and adviser Jared Kushner who helped broker the Gaza ceasefire deal that made the hostage returns possible.
Trump described Steve Witkoff, his special envoy, as "Henry Kissinger who doesn't leak."
Kissinger, the secretary of state under Nixon and Ford, was a brilliant negotiator.
Trump told the Israeli parliament that the ceasefire he helped broker in the Gaza war had ushered in the "historic dawn of a new Middle East".
"And 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, a land and a region that will live, God willing, in peace for all eternity," he said.
"This is not only the end of a war... This is the historic dawn of a new Middle East," he added.
