Netanyahu said, as he presented Trump with a nominating letter he said he sent the Nobel committee, “He’s forging peace as we speak, one country and one region after the other".
ADVERTISEMENT
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is nominating US President Donald Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize during a dinner at the White House as the two leaders celebrated their recent joint military operations against Iran's nuclear facilities which they have both defined as a total success.
Netanyahu presented Trump with a nominating letter he said he sent to the Nobel committee, “He’s forging peace as we speak, one country and one region after the other.”
Accompanied by their senior advisers for a dinner in the White House Blue Room, the leaders also discussed the war in Gaza and efforts to push for a 60-day ceasefire proposal to pause the conflict.
The call for the peace prize follows years of pressure from the Israeli leader on Trump and his predecessors to take military action against Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump responded by ordering US forces to deploy “bunker-buster” bombs and launch a barrage of Tomahawk missiles on three key Iranian nuclear sites.
The nomination also helped Netanyahu strengthen his rapport with Trump, who has long been open about his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize and his self-image as an effective peacemaker. Trump has proudly highlighted recent truces his administration brokered between India and Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, as well as Israel and Iran.
“Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful,” Trump said to Netanyahu as the prime minister handed him the nomination letter.
However, Netanyahu’s seemingly triumphant White House visit — his third this year — is overshadowed by Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and uncertainty over how strongly Trump will push for a resolution to the conflict.