On Monday, President Trump attended a Middle East Peace Summit to deliver remarks as his landmark peace deal between Israel and Hamas goes into effect and all remaining hostages are released.
The president was in the middle of paying tribute to Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for his role in helping broker the Gaza peace deal which saw the release of the 20 remaining hostages held by Hamas earlier that morning.
As Trump joked that “everybody loves Steve,” shouting erupted in the chamber as one left-wing lawmaker stood and held up a sign which read “Recognize Palestine” before being intercepted by security and escorted out.
The two protesting lawmakers were identified by Israeli media as Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif of the Hadash party, a joint Jewish-Arab socialist faction.
Odeh, the party leader and a Knesset member since 2015, is a prominent Arab-Israeli politician known for advocating Palestinian rights and a two-state solution, typically in measured, diplomatic terms. Cassif, a Jewish MK from the same party, is known for his more confrontational approach and frequent denunciations of Israeli policy, including accusations of genocide and war crimes.
“Sorry about that, Mr President,” the Knesset speaker told Trump after a brief delay during the session.
Speaking of the ejection, the president quipped: “That was efficient!”
The remark drew laughter, then applause, and chants of “Trump” from Israeli lawmakers.
Watch the moment below:
President Trump’s remarks highlighted the recent release of all remaining hostages held by Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday praised President Donald Trump as the “greatest friend” Israel has ever had, as Hamas released the last 20 living hostages under the new peace deal.
“No American president has ever done more for Israel,” Netanyahu said. “It ain’t even close.”
He thanked Trump for “standing up for Israel” at the United Nations, recognizing Israel’s rights in the West Bank — or the Judea and Samaria — and withdrawing from the “disastrous” Iran nuclear deal.
“Thank you for supporting Operation Rising Lion and for your bold decision to launch Operation Midnight Hammer,” Netanyahu said, referring to the June strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. “Boy, you got to hear this — this is the most fitting name ever given to a military operation, because a little after midnight, you really hammered them.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu also announced he had nominated Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
