U.S. President Donald Trump wasted no time advancing his agenda and fulfilling the promises he made to the people of the United States.
TRUMP’S FIRST HOURS
(ILTV)
Trump took swift action to honor his campaign commitments, rolling back nearly 80 executive orders signed by the Biden administration.
Among these were measures emphasizing his administration’s strong support for Israel. Trump revoked sanctions on Israelis living in Judea and Samaria, reinforcing U.S. recognition of Israeli sovereignty. He restored sanctions on the International Criminal Court, paused U.S. foreign aid programs—such as those benefiting UNRWA, accused of ties to Hamas—for a 90-day review to ensure alignment with administration policies, and authorized the removal of visa holders involved in pro-Hamas protests, riots, or fundraising on U.S. campuses, as well as those supporting hateful ideologies, among other orders.
These actions came just hours after Trump was inaugurated. In his speech, he expressed satisfaction that the day before he took office, Israeli hostages had begun returning to their families.
During Monday night’s inaugural parade, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff welcomed the families of American and Israeli hostages onto the stage. Witkoff, a key figure in brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage deal, received a standing ovation alongside the families as they shook hands with First Lady Melania Trump.
However, when Trump signed his executive orders, a reporter asked about his confidence in the Gaza deal progressing to Phase III, which aims to return the remaining 94 hostages to Israel. Trump admitted he was not confident.
On a more optimistic note, Trump expressed belief in the potential for peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. When asked by a reporter, “Will you push Israel and Saudi Arabia to normalize relations?" Trump responded, "I don't think I have to push them. I think it's going to happen."
Trump emphasized his desire for a legacy as a peacemaker and unifier, leading some to speculate he may no longer pursue a U.S.-led strike on Iran.
In his inaugural speech, he stated: "We will measure our success not only by the battles we win but also by the wars that we end. And, perhaps most importantly, the wars we never get into."
The entire environment was electric, and there were certainly many Jews from across the United States who came to Washington to attend the celebrations, as well as a number of Israelis.
Here’s what some of them had to say:
“We fought, fought, and we won, won, won,” said Santo Aquila of New York.
“We trust his ability to speak the language that terrorists can understand,” said Nicole Levine, who came to D.C. from Herzliya for the inauguration. “Let's make America great again. And you know what? Let's make the world a safer place.”
“The three hostages that came home yesterday are only the start,” noted Eliza Laganas of Florida. “I truly believe that had Trump been in office, October 7 would have never happened, and now I know for the next four years it will never happen again.”
Yifat Schnur from New Jersey said, “I think that Trump is going to be wonderful for the world, for the United States, and also for Israel.”
There were also Israeli Knesset members on the ground, such as Religious Zionist Party MK Simcha Rothman. He said, “I came here for the inauguration of President Trump, to meet with all the people that are getting into office, getting ready, as they say, to make America great again, but also to see how to make Israel great.”
“I came here because I think it's a historic event,” added MK Ohad Tal. “These are historic days. It's important not just for America. I think it's important for the world, definitely for the free world, because now finally, we have in the White House a leader who knows to differentiate between good and evil.”
And what did Manuel Vilar have to say?
“Strength, independence, security, empowerment—and making America great again. And Israel great again too, while we're at it.”