Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented President Donald Trump with a letter nominating him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize during a White House dinner on Monday, July 7. The nomination comes as Netanyahu maintains close ties with Trump, and follows the president’s repeated complaints about being overlooked by the Nobel committee.
“You should get it,” Netanyahu told Trump while handing over the letter. Trump described the gesture as “very meaningful.”
The nomination comes as both leaders face mounting international scrutiny — Netanyahu for his conduct in Gaza and Trump for his controversial foreign policy moves, including his refusal to impose new sanctions on Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on.
Netanyahu is currently under investigation for war crimes by the International Criminal Court related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Trump has faced backlash for his perceived leniency toward Moscow, even as Russia delays ceasefire negotiations.
Despite ongoing criticism over both leaders’ policies, the Israeli leader joins several other figures who have publicly nominated Trump for the Peace Prize.
What other countries and lawmakers have nominated Trump?
In June, Pakistan said that it had formally nominated Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, crediting him with “decisive diplomatic intervention” in de-escalating border tensions with India. However, India downplayed Trump’s role during that ceasefire.
In the U.S., Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., said he nominated Trump for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Iran and preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Other Republican lawmakers — Reps. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., and Darrell Issa, R-Calif. — submitted nominations in early 2024 and 2025.
Why did one Ukrainian lawmaker withdraw his nomination?
Ukrainian parliamentarian Oleksandr Merezhko, who originally nominated Trump in November 2024, rescinded the nomination in June. He accused Trump of failing to follow through on promises to secure a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war. Merezhko also accused him of “appeasement” toward Moscow. Merezhko also criticized Trump’s lack of response to recent Russian strikes on Kyiv.
How does the Nobel Peace Prize nomination process work?
Heads of state, national lawmakers, certain university professors and past laureates can submit nominations. The Nobel Foundation does not publicly confirm nominees and seals their names for 50 years. For the 2025 prize, nominators put forward 338 candidates —244 individuals and 94 organizations. Officials will announce the winner on Oct.10 in Oslo.
