TRUMP IN THE MIDDLE EAST

OCTOBER 13, 2025 SPEECH TRANSCRIPTS

On October 13, 2025, the Middle East witnessed a dramatic shift. After months of war, Hamas freed all 20 surviving Israeli hostages, and Israel released nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a U.S.-backed ceasefire. The exchange paved the way for an international peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, led by U.S. President Donald Trump and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

The summit produced the “Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity,” endorsed by the United States, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey. It outlined plans for humanitarian aid, Gaza reconstruction, and security oversight by a multinational board. Yet, both Israel and Hamas were absent, casting doubt on how the deal would be enforced.

President Trump called the accord a turning point. Speaking first before the Israeli Knesset, he told lawmakers, “You’ve won. You can’t beat the world—it’s time for peace.” He praised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling him a “friend and fighter for freedom,” and even urged Israel’s president to consider pardoning Netanyahu’s corruption charges. Later that day, at the summit in Egypt, Trump hailed the agreement as “the end of an age of terror and death” and promised U.S. backing for Gaza’s rebuilding.

Netanyahu, addressing the Knesset earlier that morning, said, “Mr. President, you are committed to this peace. I am committed to this peace. And together, we will achieve this peace.” Though he skipped the summit, he described Trump as “the greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.”

The peace framework marks one of the boldest efforts in years to resolve the conflict, but major obstacles remain. Without Israel and Hamas as signatories, enforcement depends on outside powers. The plan also avoids directly addressing Palestinian statehood, a gap critics say undermines long-term stability.

The Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity

Israeli Knesset Speech Transcripts:

Full text of Trump’s Knesset speech: You’ve won. You can’t beat the world. It’s time for peace (The Times of Israel, 10-14-25)

Netanyahu Knesset Transcript: Netanyahu Thanks Trump for Extraordinary Friendship After Hostage Release, October 2025 (The Ceneter for Israel Education, 10-13-25)

Speech: Donald Trump Addresses the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem - October 13, 2025 (Roll Call, 10-13-25)

Sharm el-Sheikh Peace Summit Speech Transcript:

Transcript: President Trump Remarks at the Middle East Peace Event in Egypt (The SingjuPost, 10-14-25)

Speech: Donald Trump Delivers Remarks at the Peace Ceremony in Egypt - October 13, 2025 (Roll Call, 10-13-25)