President Donald Trump told Israeli lawmakers on Monday that their country had no more to achieve on the battlefield and must work toward peace in the Middle East.
Although the US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas remains fragile, Trump is determined to seize an opportunity to chase an elusive regional harmony.
“Generations from now, this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change,” Trump declared to the Knesset, which welcomed him as a hero.
Trump pressed Israel to look past the war, saying the country “has won all that they can by force of arms.”
“You´ve won. I mean, you´ve won,” Trump said according to AP. “Now it is time to translate these victories into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East.”
Trump promised to help rebuild Gaza, which has been devastated during the conflict.
Trump even made a gesture to Iran, where he bombed three nuclear sites during the country’s brief war with Israel earlier this year, by saying “the hand of friendship and cooperation is always open.”
“We merely want to live in peace,” he said. “We don´t want any looming threats over our heads.”
In an unexpected detour, Trump also called on the Israeli president to pardon Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who he described as “one of the greatest” wartime leaders. Netanyahu faces corruption charges, although several hearings have been postponed during the conflict with Hamas.
The US president will continue on to Egypt for a summit with more than two dozen other nations, although he was running hours late as speeches at the Knesset continued longer than expected.
