Israel’s Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shared a letter nominating President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize as they met at the White House Monday evening. The prime minister shared a copy of his petition to the Nobel Prize committee with Trump before a planned dinner, describing the nomination as well-deserved. The president is forging peace as we speak and should receive the prize for everything he’s done, Netanyahu added. Trump described the gesture as a meaningful and unexpected honor, especially coming from the embattled prime minister.

Netanyahu’s letter marked Trump’s third nomination for the prize this year. The Pakistani government nominated Trump in late June for his diplomatic intervention during the brief India-Pakistan unrest. Rep. Earl L. “Buddy” Carter, R-Ga., also nominated Trump for the peace prize for his role in brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Iran. The U.S. also struck at Iranian nuclear sites leading up to the ceasefire.

Trump has previously discussed the idea of becoming a laureate. Trump told reporters in February that he would never receive the award despite genuinely deserving it. The president insisted he would not be awarded the honor despite brokering peace deals between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, or Serbia and Kosovo, according to a late June statement. Trump would never receive the prize, no matter what he achieves, he said.

Trump has also poked fun at President Barack Obama’s 2009 peace prize win. Obama only got the prize because he was elected to office, Trump said during his 2024 reelection campaign. Trump added that he would have received the prize immediately during his first term had his name been Obama.

Any ceasefire updates? Netanyahu and Trump were expected to discuss plans for a weekslong ceasefire in Gaza, but no updates were shared Tuesday morning on the negotiation process.

Dig deeper: Read my report on what was expected of Netanyahu’s White House visit.