Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared on Monday morning that he spoke with U.S. President Donald Trump and was “deeply proud” that Israel could “contribute to saving a brave American warrior,” referring to the rescue mission of the downed pilot from Iranian territory.
“I spoke earlier with President Donald Trump and personally congratulated him on his bold decision and a perfectly executed American mission to rescue the downed pilot from enemy territory,” Netanyahu tweeted.
He continued, “The President expressed his appreciation for Israel’s help,” adding that the Israeli-U.S. “cooperation on and off the battlefield is unprecedented.”
I spoke earlier with President @realDonaldTrump and personally congratulated him on his bold decision and a perfectly executed American mission to rescue the downed pilot from enemy territory.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 5, 2026
The President expressed his appreciation for Israel's help.
I am deeply proud that…
On Sunday, Netanyahu released an English-language video in which he congratulated Trump on the daring rescue April 4 mission from deep in enemy territory.
The Israeli leader invoked his personal experience as a combat soldier in the IDF, as well as that of his brother Yoni, who died in the 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue operation.
“As a nation that repeatedly carried out daring rescue operations, and as someone who was wounded in such a mission and lost a brother in the Entebbe rescue, Israelis and I, we know what a bold decision you took,” said Netanyahu.
The prime minister also tweeted on Sunday night a brief, all-caps sentence accompanied by an AI-generated image of the U.S. and Israeli flags, reading: “GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, GOD BLESS ISRAEL, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!”
GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, GOD BLESS ISRAEL, AND GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA! pic.twitter.com/60o96y5bRa
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 5, 2026
Shortly after midnight on Sunday, Trump stated that the U.S. military had recovered a “highly respected colonel” from behind enemy lines in Iran.
“We got him! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States military pulled off one of the most daring search and rescue operations in U.S. history for one of our incredible crew member officers, who also happens to be a highly respected colonel,” the president wrote.
Trump said he was thrilled to announce that the colonel was “now safe and sound” and that the “brave warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour.”
