US President Donald Trump’s address to the Israeli Knesset on Monday was briefly disrupted when two left-wing lawmakers chanted slogans demanding recognition of Palestinian statehood and condemning what they called the “Gaza genocide.”
Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif, both members of the Hadash Party, unfurled a small banner reading “Recognize Palestine” before being escorted out of the chamber by Knesset security personnel. Footage from the session showed the pair shouting as other members attempted to drown them out with applause for Trump.
“Sorry about that, Mr President,” Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said after order was restored. Trump, smiling, replied, “Very efficient,” drawing laughter from the chamber.
The interruption lasted several minutes, during which Odeh and Cassif accused the Israeli government of “genocide” in Gaza before being removed. The protest came as international momentum for Palestinian statehood continues to grow.
So far, 159 of the 193 UN member states have recognised Palestine. During last month’s UN General Assembly, 11 more nations — including the UK, Canada, Australia, and France — joined the list. Washington, however, continues to oppose unilateral recognition.
Trump’s speech, which received multiple standing ovations, praised the recent Gaza ceasefire and the release of 20 Israeli hostages under the deal. “The skies are calm, the guns are silent, and the Holy Land is at peace,” he said, calling the truce a “historic dawn.”
He also paid tribute to his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, crediting them for helping broker the ceasefire agreement. “Please know that America joins you in the vows: never forget and never again,” Trump said, describing the Hamas attacks as “the worst slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust.”
Trump arrived in Israel earlier in the day and is expected to travel to Egypt to attend a Gaza peace conference in Sharm el-Sheikh.
According to Palestinian sources, Israeli operations since October 2023 have killed more than 67,800 people in Gaza, most of them women and children, leaving the enclave in ruins.