Israeli Lawmakers Ejected From Knesset During Trump Gaza Speech

Two members of Israel's parliament were forcibly removed from the Knesset chamber during US President Donald Trump's address Monday after staging a protest against Israeli military actions in Gaza. The incident occurred as Trump delivered his speech to Israeli lawmakers, creating a dramatic interruption to the high-profile diplomatic event.

Knesset members Ayman Odeh and Ofer Cassif, both representing the left-wing Hadash party, raised placards and chanted slogans denouncing Israel's military campaign in Gaza. Video footage from the parliamentary session showed security personnel escorting the two lawmakers from the plenum after they refused to end their demonstration during the American president's address.

The protesting legislators belong to Hadash (the Democratic Front for Peace and Equality), a political party that includes both Arab and Jewish members and advocates for Jewish-Arab cooperation. Their protest highlighted the deep political divisions within Israel regarding the Gaza conflict, even during a moment of diplomatic significance with the visiting US president.

The removal of the parliament members occurred against the backdrop of ongoing regional diplomacy, including recent ceasefire agreements and prisoner exchanges that have involved mediation efforts by several nations, including Türkiye. The protest underscores the continuing domestic political tensions in Israel surrounding military operations in Gaza, even as international diplomatic efforts seek to stabilize the situation.