As they walked down the red carpet on the tarmac at Ben Gurion Airport, US President Donald Trump said to President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “It’s a great day. Maybe your best day.”
“This is history,” responded Netanyahu, in new footage released by his office.
According to Israel’s Ambassador to Washington Yehiel Leiter, Trump told him at the airport, “You know your son is looking down at you with a smile, you know that, right?”
“My heart burst,” writes Leiter on X.
Leiter’s son, Major (Res.) Moshe Yedidia Leiter, was killed in fighting in the Gaza Strip in 2023.
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee says that as he greeted Netanyahu on the tarmac, he congratulated the prime minister, saying “his unflinching leadership against so much opposition was key to end of war and hostage release.”
Your next read: ToI Editors' Picks
LIMITED TIME OFFER: Join The Times of Israel Community today and you'll receive a physical book of your choice, carefully curated by our editors.
Choose between two must-reads: When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin, a searing portrait of a mother’s grief and strength following unthinkable tragedy;
Or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman, the gripping and surprising tale of a forgotten moment during World War II.
As a Community member, you’ll also enjoy our DocuNation series of outstanding Israeli documentary films, an ad-free experience of our site and podcasts, commenting privileges, and more.
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
CHOOSE YOUR BOOK
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 13, 2025
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
