Netanyahu Surprises Trump With Hand-Delivered Nobel Peace Prize Nomination

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he had nominated President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Netanyahu and Trump met at the White House to discuss key developments in the Middle East. Netanyahu expressed his appreciation for Trump’s leadership and said he nominated Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize award, Fox News reported.

“I want to express the appreciation and admiration not only of all Israelis, but of the Jewish people and many, many admirers around the world, for your leadership, your leadership of the free world, your leadership of a just cause, and the pursuit of peace and security,” Netanyahu said. “The president has an extraordinary team, and I think our teams, together, make an extraordinary combination to meet challenges and seize opportunities.”

The prime minister praised what he said were Trump’s accomplishments, particularly his role in securing the Abraham Accords.

“But the president has already realized great opportunities. He forged the Abraham Accords. He’s forging peace as we speak, in one country and one region after the other,” Netanyahu said. “So, I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well-deserved.”

Trump, who was unaware of the nomination, accepted the letter and thanked Netanyahu for the gesture.

Trump aims to expand the Abraham Accords, an agreement that led several Arab nations, including the United Arab Emirates, Sudan, Morocco, and Bahrain, to normalize relations with Israel. Experts say bringing more Arab countries into the accords would strengthen opposition to Iran and bring much-needed stability to the region.

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff has consistently hinted that the Trump administration intends to broaden the Abraham Accords. In a June 25 interview with CNBC, he teased significant developments, adding several countries are expected to join the agreements soon.

Gabriel Noronha, president of Polaris National Security and a leading advisor to Congress on national security, said Saudi Arabia’s participation in the accords could serve as a catalyst, encouraging other Arab nations to follow suit. Without a resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza that satisfies Saudi interests, though, the kingdom may hesitate to engage with the accords.

“If Saudi can get to ‘yes,’ almost all the other nations have indicated they’ll be shortly behind,” Noronha told the DCNF. “Saudi is really difficult, and from what I’ve heard, there’s no prospect of Saudi probably in this year. The Gaza situation really needs to get resolved before Saudi peace can move forward.”