Two MPs calling for Palestinian state disrupt Trump speech to Israel's parliament
US President Donald Trump was heckled and briefly interrupted by two MPs during an address at Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, during which he hailed a "historic dawn" for the Middle East.
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 recognise a Palestinian state.
"To recognise this simple reality: There are two peoples here, and neither is going anywhere."
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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 alongside Israel," he wrote on X.
"Refuse to be occupiers! Resist the government of bloodshed!"
Cassif also posted on Facebook a picture of himself in the Knesset reading The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe.
"During the speech of lies by war criminal Netanyahu - I preferred to read about the truth," he wrote.
Trump on Monday became only the fourth US president to address Israel's parliament, the Knesset, and the first since 2008.
He was speaking to mark the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas that saw a prisoner exchange take place on Monday.
The president said that Israel "became strong and powerful, which led to peace", adding: "Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms."
He thanked Muslim and Arab nations for their help in bringing about a ceasefire agreement. "It will be the golden age of Israel and the golden age of the Middle East," he said.
He said that the "entire region" had endorsed a plan to disarm Hamas, and that his administration was "helping" the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah.
He called on countries that do not have ties with Israel to do him "a favour" and "join up in the Abraham Accords".
Trump asks Herzog to pardon Netanyahu
Ahead of Trump's speech, Netanyahu made an address in Hebrew and then English.
He thanked Trump for a number of things, including moving the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, "recognising Israeli sovereignty" over Syria's Golan Heights, withdrawing from the Iranian nuclear deal, and standing up for Israel against "lies" at the United Nations.
He also thanked the president for recognising "our rights in Judea and Samaria", indicating that Trump supports Israeli control over the occupied West Bank.
The prime minister awarded Trump with the Israel Prize, the Israeli state's highest cultural honour.
Trump said of Netanyahu: "He's not the easiest guy to deal with… but that's what makes him great."
He asked President Isaac Herzog: "Why don't you give Netanyahu a pardon?" referring to the long-running corruption charges against the Israeli premier.
"Cigars and some champagne - who the hell cares?" he added, referencing fraud charges which the Israeli premier denies.
Trump said that the ceasefire agreement took place as things were getting "bad and heated".
"I said, Bibi, you're going to be remembered for this far more than if you kept this thing going, going, going - kill, kill," he said.
"I just want to congratulate you for having the courage to say, 'that's it, we've won and now let's enjoy our lives'."
Israeli forces have killed more than 67,000 Palestinians since October 2023. Leaked Israeli military data suggests that at least 80 percent of those killed are believed to be civilians.
The assault has caused widespread famine and led to the destruction or damage of nearly every standing structure in Gaza - including homes, hospitals, schools, mosques and churches.
Netanyahu, as well as Yoav Gallant, his former defence minister, were both handed arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court over war crime charges in Gaza.
Elsewhere during his speech, Trump heaped praise on major donor and pro-Israel advocate Miriam Adelson - who was sitting in the Knesset gallery.
Her late husband, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, put large sums of his fortune into conservative politicians and shaping US policy on Israel.
"She loves Israel," Trump said, crediting the Adelsons with shaping decisions like his 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his 2019 endorsement of Israeli sovereignty over Syria's Golan Heights.
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