Tremendous Praise for President Trump as Witkoff, Kushner and Ivanka Trump Express Gratitude for Hostage Release Deal
Netanyahu Was Booed during Witkoff’s speech; Kushner spoke of ‘challenges and pain of the last few years’
Trump administration special envoy Steve Witkoff, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and the president’s daughter Ivanka Trump were greeted with cheers by tens of thousands of people who gathered in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv on Saturday night to celebrate the hostage release deal that is expected to bring home 48 captives, living and dead, over the next 72 hours.
Just over two years ago, on Oct. 7, 2023, thousands of terrorists invaded southern Israel, killing 1,200 and taking 251 hostages, most of whom were released during hostage-for-prisoner exchanges in late November 2023 and February 2025.
Witkoff addressed the crowd, remarking on the number of people, estimating it at 100,000 or more.
To cheers of “Thank you, Witkoff,” the special envoy began, “All of our hearts beating as one gathered here in Tel Aviv for peace, for unity and for hope in this sacred place we call Hostages Square.”
He thanked US President Donald Trump, saying that he wished he could attend. The president is expected to arrive in Israel for a short visit on Monday, the same day the hostages are expected to be released.
Marveling at the achievement of an agreement, Witkoff said, “Tonight we celebrate something extraordinary, a moment that many thought was impossible.”
“Yet here we stand, living proof that when courage meets conviction, miracles can happen. A peace born not out of politics, but out of courage. The courage of those who refuse to give up hope,” he added.
Your courage and endurance inspired the world. You’ve shown the world that peace is not weakness. It is the highest form of strength. Through heartbreak and fear, you never let go of the faith
Witkoff praised the “strength, your resilience, your unwavering spirit” of Israelis “through unimaginable pain and loss.”
He added, “Your courage and endurance inspired the world. You’ve shown the world that peace is not weakness. It is the highest form of strength. Through heartbreak and fear, you never let go of the faith.”
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President Trump, who “made this peace possible,” was also thanked, along with his partner in negotiations, Jared Kushner.
“Trump showed the world that strength and peace go hand in hand. They are not opposites — they are partners,” Witkoff said. “To the Arab leaders and partners of ours who meant so much in this negotiation — including President Erdogan from Turkey, Sheikh Mohammed (bin Abdulrahman) and the Emir of Qatar, and President Sisi of Egypt — all of whom played a critical and integral role in this peace deal — I say thank you.”
The crowd cheered at the mention of Trump, but when Witkoff named Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, extended boos interrupted his speech, forcing him to pause, after which he praised Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who “sacrificed so much for this country and devoted their lives to the service of Israel.”
He added, “They’ve given everything—their time, their energy and their hearts—to building a safer, stronger future for the Jewish people. Their commitment to this country has never wavered, and it never will.”
Jared Kushner took the podium and began by thanking Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump but did not mention Netanyahu.
Kushner recounted his reaction when he was informed of the massacre on Oct. 7 while he and his wife were attending a wedding in Colorado. “I just stayed there all night, and I cried … seeing these horrific, barbaric acts shocked me to my core in a way that I’ll never be the same.”
The experience gave Kushner the impetus to “see these hostages come home, to see their families and get the closure they deserve.” He said he also felt a need “to see the suffering end for the people in Gaza who, for most of them, were experiencing this through no fault of their own other than being born into a situation that was horrific.”
Kushner praised “the way that the state of Israel and its people have carried themselves through this traumatic, unthinkable, horrific experience.”
I have complete confidence in this … that what will rise from this trauma will be a level of greatness, a level of achievement, a level of impact on the world, a level of leadership that Israel has never seen
“I have complete confidence in this … that what will rise from this trauma will be a level of greatness, a level of achievement, a level of impact on the world, a level of leadership that Israel has never seen. And I encourage you all to go forward, to seize that opportunity.”
Kushner added, “As we close this chapter, let’s learn from the challenges and the pain of the last few years, and let’s do our best to make Israel, to make the region, to make the world as peaceful, to build bridges of understanding, to eliminate hatred in ourselves, hatred for others, and to really lead with love and understanding.”
He thanked the “amazing soldiers of the IDF,” lauding their “heroism, brilliance and bravery.”
Regarding the story of how he and Witkoff helped close the deal in the final days, Kushner said he and the envoy would one day give a full account that will “make you laugh … make you cry. It was crazy,” and he quipped, “I noticed he (Witkoff) had no four-letter words in his speech because I think he used them all up in the negotiation. But I think that it’s a really great thing, hopefully, to celebrate Monday.”
Ivanka Trump took the podium, thanked President Trump and expressed deep admiration for the strength of the hostage families, saying she was “in awe of their strength and conviction in spite of such suffering.”
She said that the president “sees you, he hears you, he stands with you—always,” emphasizing that each hostage’s return represents “a triumph of faith, of courage, and of our shared humanity.”
Ivanka Trump added that countless people are working tirelessly to make the coming week “one of healing” and to begin a new chapter that, “God willing, after far too long, will be a lasting and enduring peace.”
She also paid tribute to those killed on Oct. 7, praying, “God bless the souls of the fallen,” and joined her husband, Jared Kushner, in calling for solidarity and hope after two years of war.
