Netanyahu congratulates Trump on his inauguration and calls on him to continue working to free the rest of the hostages in Gaza
In a videotaped message, the Israeli prime minister also praised the U.S. president for the Middle East policies taken during his first term in office.

Donald Trump with Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, July 2024.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Donald Trump immediately after the Republican was sworn in as president of the United States.
In a video message, the Israeli leader said, "Congratulations, President Trump!" He added, "Sara and I send our warmest wishes to you, Melania and the American people on second inauguration as president of the United States."
Netanyahu also praised Trump for his policies on the Middle East during his first term as U.S. president.
Prime Minister Netanyahu is one of the first world leaders to congratulate 47th President Trump. 🇮🇱🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/3o0xMt7bUO
— Hananya Naftali (@HananyaNaftali) January 20, 2025
"Your first term as president was filled with groundbreaking moments in the history of the great alliance between our two countries. You withdrew from the dangerous Iran nuclear deal. You recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital. You moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem, and you recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. You also brokered the historic Abraham Accords in which Israel made peace with four Arab countries," Netanyahu said.
The Jewish state's prime minister also thanked Trump for his help in reaching the ceasefire agreement with Hamas and called on him to continue joining forces to defeat Iran and its proxies in the Middle East.
"I believe that working together again, we will raise the U.S.-Israel alliance to even greater heights. I am confident that we will complete the defeat of Iran's terror axis and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity for our region. On behalf of the people of Israel, I also want to thank you for your efforts in helping free Israeli hostages. I look forward to working with you to return the remaining hostages, to destroy Hamas’s military capabilities and end its political rule in Gaza, and to ensure that Gaza never again poses a threat to Israel," Trump added.
"I am sure, Mr. President, that under your leadership, the best days of our alliance are yet to come," he concluded.