Washington DC [US], April 4 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) extended greetings on the occasion of Easter, joining Christians worldwide in commemorating Holy Week and the 'resurrection of Jesus Christ'.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, ' Happy Easter to all, may God bless you, may God bless the United States of America.'

Delivering a detailed Holy Week message, Trump emphasised the significance of Christ's life, death and resurrection. 'This Holy Week, I'm proud to join with Christians across the country and around the world to celebrate the most glorious miracle in all of time, the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,' he said.

Highlighting Christian teachings, he added, 'In his life, Christ displayed true humility. In his death, he modelled true love. And in his resurrection from the tomb, he proved that even death itself will not silence those who place their trust in Almighty God.'

Citing scripture from the Gospel of John, Trump said, 'For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, for whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Eternal life, such beautiful words.'

He noted that the festival serves as a reminder of hope and faith for millions of believers worldwide. ' This Easter millions of Christians all over the globe will be reminded that because of what Jesus did on the cross, all of us can live every day with hope in God's promise, knowing that in the end evil and wickedness will not prevail,' he said.

'As I have often said, to be a great nation, you must have religion, and you must have God. In churches across the nation on Sunday, the pews will be fuller, younger, and more faithful than they have at any time in many, many years. Religion is growing again in our country for the first time in decades,' he added.

Trump reiterated his greetings and expressed confidence in the country's progress, saying, 'Our country is doing so well like never before.'

Earlier on Friday, Israeli President Isaac Herzog spoke to Pope Leo XIV and exchanged greetings for Passover and Easter. He also discussed the conflicts in West Asia and the Gulf region--particularly Iran and Lebanon and called for cooperation of all world and religious leaders in the fight against anti-semitism.

Sharing the details in a post on X, the Israeli President said, 'During our call, we discussed the war with Iran, including the ongoing threat of missile attacks by the Iranian regime and its terror proxies against people of all faiths in the region. I recalled the recent Iranian missile attacks on Jerusalem that fell in the area of sites holy to Christians, Muslims, and Jews. The people of Iran also deserve a better future free from this dangerous and violent regime of terror.'

He also expressed to Pope Leo XIV the importance of Israel's relationship with the Holy See, the Catholic Church, and Christians around the world and underscored the importance of the cooperation of all world and religious leaders in the crucial fight against antisemitism.

'I extended my warmest wishes for the Easter holiday to Christian communities across the Middle East and around the world. We expressed our shared hope for a more peaceful future for people of all faiths across the world, free from the threat of violence and bloodshed', the Israeli President further noted. (ANI)