U.S. special envoy to the Midle East Steve Witkoff urged Israelis to “choose unity over division” in remarks at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. on Monday, May 5th, marking Israel’s Independence Day.
“Israel is an extraordinary nation from its founding. It has faced external threats with creativity, resilience and triumph, and [the United States] will always be [its] strongest ally. Yet, Israel’s strength lies in its unity,” Witkoff said.
“Over the past 20 months, countless Israelis have sacrificed so much. In their honor, I urge the Israeli people to choose unity over division, vision over disagreement and hope over despair. When you do, Israel’s future will shine brighter than ever,” he added.
Happy Independence Day to the State of Israel. I was honored to join tonight’s celebration with Amb @yechielleiter. Looking forward to our two countries working together over the coming year to resolve the many challenges we face, so that we may move closer to peace, prosperity,… pic.twitter.com/8D1fQbZNi0
— Office of the Special Envoy to the Middle East (@SE_MiddleEast) May 6, 2025
Witkoff, in his speech at the embassy event, also highlighted that the Trump administration would work to expand the Abraham Accords. “We think [we] will have some or a lot of announcements very, very shortly,” he said.
59 hostages seized from Israel are still held in Gaza tunnels, with less than half of them believed to be still alive.
