The phone call followed the announcement that Israel and Hamas had signed a ceasefire deal.
ed note–Mr. President, if we may be so bold as to offer some unsolicited advice, please consider addressing the Knesset via telecom from the Oval Office instead of in person. Netanyahu and the rest of the terrorist Jews making up his Kosher Nostra government want you dead more than their ancestors wanted Jesus Christ dead, and you should entertain no false illusions as to how far they are willing to go in achieving your murder, including having you gunned down in broad daylight in Joo-roo-salem.
Jpost
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited US President Donald Trump to address the Knesset in Jerusalem during a phone call between the two on Thursday morning, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Israeli officials are preparing for Trump’s arrival on Sunday for a visit and a speech at the Knesset.
The phone call followed the announcement that Israel and Hamas had agreed on a ceasefire deal.
‘With the approval of the first phase of the plan, all our hostages will be brought home. This is a diplomatic success and a national and moral victory for the State of Israel,’ Netanyahu wrote on X/Twitter on Thursday morning.
Netanyahu went on to thank Trump for his ‘leadership, his partnership, and his unwavering commitment to the safety of Israel and the freedom of our hostages.’
Netanyahu, Herzog thank Trump for getting Gaza deal
‘At this hour, all of the people of Israel are with the hostages. All of the people of Israel are with the families,’ President Isaac Herzog wrote. ‘And they shall return from the land of the enemy… and children shall return to their borders.’
Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon thanked Trump and Netanyahu ‘for their determination, courage, and perseverance.’
‘We will not forget the bravery and sacrifice of the IDF soldiers and security forces who acted with boundless dedication to bring the hostages home,’ he wrote.
‘We are waiting for our children with bated breath,’ Opposition leader Yair Lapid shared in a post to X/Twitter before also thanking Trump.
Defense Minister Israel Katz also thanked Netanyahu and Trump for their ‘leadership that led to the agreement,’ going on to thank the IDF, which ‘brought us to this moment.’
‘I warmly embrace the families of the hostages for the anticipated return of their loved ones, including IDF soldiers and fallen heroes, home soon,’ his post concluded.
‘The heart of all of us is with the 48 families in hope and prayer for the return of all of them,’ Blue and White leader MK Benny Gantz wrote in an initial social media post. ‘The living to the bosom of their loved ones, and the fallen for a proper burial in the soil of the land.’
‘An entire nation wakes up this morning with hope and anticipation for the imminent return of our brothers and sisters after two years in hell,’ Gantz wrote in a second post on X.
Gantz expressed his gratitude to Trump for his ‘tremendous efforts and unwavering commitment to return all hostages and ensuring Israel’s security.’
He also expressed gratitude to Netanyahu and the political echelon for adopting Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
Gantz, who previously served as IDF chief of staff and then defense minister, noted that the task is not yet complete despite Wednesday’s announcement.
‘We must prepare anew on a military level, in defense and offense, while maintaining an uncompromising commitment to our security,’ amid the excitement for the return of the hostages, he stated, while thanking the IDF soldiers and members of Israel’s defense establishment ‘whose courage, bravery, and sacrifice over the past two years have made this moment possible.’
Israel, on a political level, must also ensure the full implementation of the peace plan ‘including all its components, such as disarming Hamas and demilitarizing the Gaza Strip,’ he added.
‘I’m happy that both sides have reached an agreement on the first stage of the deal to end the war,’ wrote Hadash-Ta’al MK Ayman Odeh, echoing the sentiment on X/Twitter. ‘I’m deeply happy for the mothers who will hug their sons tight, and for the children who will finally hug their parents again.’
The IDF welcomed Israel and Hamas’ agreement on a Gaza deal, but noted that the military would remain ‘ready for any scenario,’ in a statement released early Thursday morning.
‘The IDF welcomes the reaching of an agreement for the return of the hostages, which was signed last night,’ the statement said. ‘During a situation assessment held last night, the Chief of Staff instructed all forces on all fronts to prepare strong defensive measures and be ready for any scenario.’
At the same time, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered that preparations for the operation to return the hostages must be done with ‘sensitivity and professionalism.’
Smotrich to vote against ceasefire deal, bemoans release of ‘next generation of terror leadership’
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich took to X on Thursday morning to affirm that he would vote against the ceasefire deal during the cabinet meeting that afternoon.
Smotrich stated that there are ‘mixed emotions on a complex morning,’ as Israel prepares to receive the returning hostages, which are slated to be released by Hamas terrorists over the weekend.
In contrast, Smotrich believes that releasing Palestinian prisoners, whom he referred to as ‘the next generation of terror leadership,’ will have consequences, including the released prisoners planning to ‘do everything to continue spilling rivers of Jewish blood.’