Trump proposes to pardon Netanyahu during his speech in the Israeli parliament

It was a speech unlike any other President Trump I delivered.

After the Hamas hostages were freed – a moment of pure joy – he spent most of his speech to the Israeli parliament praising others.

There was sustained applause The Knesset in Jerusalem Yesterday when Trump invoked “the Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob” — then praised more modern figures.

Bibi Netanyahu. Marco Rubio. Pete Hegseth. Jared Kushner (it is mentioned that his daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism to marry him). Different generals. And Steve Witkoff – repeatedly spoke of the talents of his Middle East envoy and his four-hour meeting with Vladimir Putin.

Trump calls on Netanyahu to pardon after praising the quick removal of left-wing lawmakers by security

The President also said that he received invaluable help from Arab and Islamic countries in his vision of “peace, God willing, forever.”

An eternity is a long time – and although Trump has not exactly landed on an aircraft carrier bearing a “Mission Accomplished” banner, à la George W. Bush, he has explicitly said that he sees the war as over.

Watching Israeli footage of some of the 20 freed hostages tearfully hugging their family members, it was impossible not to be moved. Even when watching it for the second or third time, given the horrific ordeal they were subjected to. If your heart isn’t stuck in your throat, you don’t have a heart.

When Trump calmed down and began making the statements, the message was clear: He was the one who organized this peace agreement. He was also keen to blame the war on the “heinous” October 7 massacre by Hamas terrorists, which caused the greatest loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust.

However, Trump could not stop himself from directing partisan criticism at Joe Biden Barack Obama.

He actually went off script late in the hour-long speech when he turned to the Israeli president and suggested he grant Netanyahu a pardon. Bibi is the defendant in a long-running corruption trial that was postponed in part because of the two-year-old war.

I was among the first to note last week that Trump’s international peacemaking stands in stark contrast to his refusal to negotiate with Democrats to end the government shutdown that has extended into its second week. Peace outside but not inside. But right now, the hot media spotlight is on the Middle East.

When Trump had no one left to thank, he praised the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid. He spotted Miriam Adelson, the widow of billionaire Sheldon Adelson, and convinced her to stand up, as they regularly visited Trump on behalf of Israel.

Do you know who praises Trump? Hillary Clinton. Rahm Emanuel. Condoleezza Rice. Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. John Fetterman (you know who won’t be named? Obama, who was attacked by CNN).

Trump declares a “golden age for the Middle East” in his speech to the Israeli Knesset hours after the hostages returned home

Trump even had plaudits on MSNBC from the likes of Jon Meacham and Ben Rhodes, at least for a short-term win.

It is possible to hate the president of another party, or other ideological division, and still applaud him when he does something beneficial for America and the world.

Trump knows well the difficulties that await him, which is why he left for Egypt to sign the deal and conduct further negotiations with Arab leaders.

On CNN, MSNBC, and Fox, which conducted an exclusive interview with Trump, the tone was much the same — upbeat, celebratory, full of praise, but also wary of what comes next — and these are fair journalistic questions.

Some former Israeli officials and journalists said this could have been achieved a year or 18 months ago, but Netanyahu wants to keep fighting. Trump agreed to what Netanyahu wanted To keep fightingHe described him as a difficult man to deal with, and forced him to accept the peace plan by threatening to withdraw. He even forced Bibi to apologize to Qatar for attacking the exiled Hamas leadership there. If it wasn’t for Pepe’s arm being almost broken, none of this would have happened.

Check this out: “I want to thank the media, you’ve been so respectful,” Trump said in Egypt, so much so that he listened to the various newscasts on Air Force One, and they were all “fair.” Wooza.

This was during a side interview with Fox tree ingstwho has been my guest many times. Trump told him: “You’re a real professional, not that it’s good or bad, you’re a real professional.” “It would be great if other people could do what you’re doing because they’re putting out a negative image” in the news.

Among other things, Trump said he wanted to make a deal with Iran — which would horrify many Israelis — but he only spoke briefly about the peace council, which he will chair and which will include Arab and European leaders. The United States will contribute 200 soldiers stationed outside Gaza.

In response to press questions with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Trump expressed optimism about the second phase of the operation. But he knows it’s not easy, to borrow a phrase from Bush’s defense adviser, Ken Adelman, who said in his Washington Post op-ed: “the picnic in Iraq” — and the resulting quagmire has turned out to be anything but.

The question of who will rule Gaza, and whether what remains of Hamas will surrender their weapons, is still very much up in the air.

The sector has largely been reduced to rubble. What the region needs, more than military guarantees, is money from the wealthier Arab countries.

With two million Palestinians displaced or losing their homes, will housing construction be the top priority? Or will hotels be built to attract tourists? It’s hard to imagine many people vacationing there for years to come.

Urging Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu, Trump said: “Cigars and champagne, who the hell cares about that?”

The Prime Minister postponed the trial through delaying tactics and war-related diplomatic moves. He says the whole thing is a left-wing conspiracy against his right-wing government, if that sounds familiar.

Israeli prosecutors say he traded organizational favors with senior media figures in exchange for positive coverage, and 140 witnesses, including former aides, testified against him.

In one case, Bibby and his wife, Sarah, were accused of accepting $260,000 worth of luxury goods, including cigars, champagne and jewelry, in exchange for political favors.

Trump writes a letter to the Israelis after the release of all living Hamas hostages

When Herzog urged a pardon for Netanyahu, Israelis were stunned, saying it could never happen because if such a pardon were magically implemented, it would require the prime minister to admit guilt.

Look, the 47th president says and does a lot of things that are bizarre, self-serving, hyperpartisan, infuriating, or fact-challenging.

Here’s an example from Truth Social:

“Biden’s FBI put 274 agents in the middle of the crowd on January 6th. If that’s the case, which it is, a lot of good people will be owed huge apologies. What a scam – do something!!! President D.G.T.”

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The problem? there Biden Wasn’t the FBI on January 6, 2021 – Trump Was Still President! It is difficult to see how he could make this mistake.

However, Trump speaks of “a golden age for Israel and the Middle East,” which is a great goal. No other president could have pulled this off, and he deserves high praise. But the larger goal, achieving long-term peace in the troubled region, remains a dream for now.