Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated President Donald Trump for the Israel Prize, which is Israel’s highest cultural honor.
Netanyahu announced the nomination while speaking to the Israeli Parliament early Monday morning, shortly after Hamas released all the remaining living hostages who’d been trapped in Gaza.
“I’ve submitted your nomination to be the first non-Israeli recipient of the Israel Prize, Israel’s highest award,” he said to the U.S. president, who was also present.
“As to that other prize, it’s just a question of time: You’ll get it,” he added, referencing the Nobel Peace Prize. “I want to you to get the Israel Prize, our highest award.”
BREAKING: @Netanyahu announces he has nominated @POTUS to become the first non-Israeli to receive the Israel Prize — the nation’s highest honor. pic.twitter.com/s1hTX7rKJh
— FOX & Friends (@foxandfriends) October 13, 2025
Earlier during the event, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana called Trump a “colossus who will be enshrined in the pantheon of history” and whom the Jewish people will remember “thousands of years from now,” according to The Times of Israel.
“Mr. President, you stand before the people of Israel not as another American president, but as a giant of Jewish history — one for whom we must look back, two and a half millennia into the mists of time to find a parallel, in Cyrus the Great,” he said.
He too also brought up the Nobel Peace Prize, saying that Trump deserves it “more than any other individual” and vowing to work with others to “rally speakers and presidents of parliaments from around the world to submit your candidacy” for next year’s competition.
In his speech, Netanyahu likewise described Trump as the “greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House.”
“No American president has ever done more for Israel, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close,” he added. “It’s really not a match.”
Speaking from the Knesset, @netanyahu said, “Donald Trump is the greatest friend that the state of Israel has ever had in the White House,” while addressing the Knesset after the release of all living hostages.”
Trump got a standing ovation and chants of TRUMP TRUMP TRUMP broke… pic.twitter.com/qE2DlQHD72
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) October 13, 2025
Trump arrived in Israel hours earlier via Air Force One. He was slated to remain there a few hours before jetting off to Egypt to continue celebrating the Israel-Hamas ceasefire and peace deal.
As part of the deal, all remaining living hostages were released earlier Monday morning.
“The bodies of 28 deceased hostages remain in Gaza but are meant to be returned by Hamas under the terms of the US-brokered ceasefire deal,” according to CNN.
Meanwhile, Israel had begun releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and 1,700 Palestinian detainees.
Palestinian convicts are being released in the West Bank. These are terrorists who slaughtered civilians. This is the price that Israel paid for 20 men to be released from Gaza captivity today. pic.twitter.com/pH1gvv34bE
— Marina Medvin ???????? (@MarinaMedvin) October 13, 2025
During his own speech before the Knesset, Trump stressed that it’s time for permanent peace between Israel and Gaza/Hamas.
“Israel, with our help, has won all that they can by force of arms,” he said. “You’ve won. I mean, you’ve won.”
“Now it’s time to translate these victories against terrorists on the battlefield into the ultimate prize of peace and prosperity for the entire Middle East. It’s about time you were able to enjoy the fruits of your labor,” he added.
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