Netanyahu surprises Trump with formal Nobel Peace Prize nomination during historic White House meeting
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that he had sent a letter to the Nobel Prize Committee to nominate President Donald Trump for the peace prize.
Trump and Netanyahu met at the White House on Monday to discuss developments in the Middle East.
While speaking to reporters, Netanyahu spoke about the relationship between Israel and the U.S.
"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," he said. "The president has an extraordinary team, and I think our teams, together, make, an extraordinary combination to meet challenges and seize opportunities.
"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 continued. "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 accepted the letter, saying he was unaware of the nomination and thanking the prime minister.
The nomination comes just weeks after the U.S. struck Iran's nuclear program following previous strikes levied by Israel in an effort to end Tehran's atomic ambitions.
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Trump on Monday said Iran was no longer the "bully of the Middle East" and said Tehran would be holding nuclear talks with the U.S. in the "next week or so."
Though when asked how negotiations with Hamas stood in a move to end the war in Gaza and return the hostages held there for over 630 days, neither the U.S. nor Israeli officials would comment on what the "hold up" was.
When asked if there can be a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians – a policy the U.S. has long backed – Trump pushed the question to Netanyahu who said "overall security" will always remain in the hands of Israel.
"I think Palestinians should have all the powers to govern themselves, but none of the powers should threaten us," Netanyahu told reporters. "And that means that certain powers, like overall security, will always remain in our hands.
"No one in Israel will agree to anything else, because we don't commit suicide," he added.
The Israeli leader then said he believes that Jerusalem can establish "peace between us and the entire Middle East with President Trump's leadership" in a direct nod to the president's push to expand the Abraham Accords.
Nations like Saudi Arabia have said they are uninterested in normalizing ties with Israel until peace is established for the Palestinians, but other nation's positions on establishing diplomatic ties remains unclear.
The U.S. Envoy for Lebanon and Syria suggested earlier on Monday that both nations could be looking to improve diplomatic relations.
Trump said he removed sanctions on Syria this year to give them "a chance," and suggested he would like to lift the "biting sanctions" on Iran as well.
"I'd like to see Iran build itself back up in a peaceful manner, and not going around saying ‘Death to America, Death to the USA, Death to Israel,’ as they were doing," he said. "They have such potential."