During his visit to the White House on Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told President Donald Trump that he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. The announcement came against the backdrop of a dinner between U.S. and Israeli officials, during which the two leaders discussed the Israel-Iran War and the future of the Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip amid the Israeli genocide. The meeting unfolded as negotiations in Doha between Israel and Hamas entered their second day. It also marked Netanyahu’s third trip to the U.S. in less than six months.
“The president has already realized a great opportunity. He forged the Abraham Accords. He’s forging peace as we speak in one country and one region after the other. So, I want to present to you, Mr. President, with the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize Committee. It’s nominating you for the Peace Prize, which is well deserved,” Netanyahu said.
“Coming from you, this is very meaningful,” Trump responded as he accepted the letter.
In November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. According to the ICC, Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
Trump dodged a reporter’s question about the forcible expulsion of the Palestinians from Gaza, prompting Netanyahu to respond. “It’s called free choice. You know, if people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,” the Israeli leader said. He added that Israel was working “very closely” with the United States to find countries that would “give the Palestinians a better future.”
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, over 57,000 Palestinians have been killed since the October 7 terrorist attack, while more than 136,000 have been wounded. According to The Economist, however, the total number of deaths is likely 46% to 107% higher than the ministry’s figures suggest. On Monday, nine Palestinians, including a child, were killed amid IDF attacks on a clinic, a refugee camp, and an apartment building.
Trump also used the meeting to defend his administration’s June 22 airstrikes against three Iranian nuclear facilities. Axios reports that Israeli officials hope Trump will approve any future attacks Israel launches against Iran should it seek to revive its nuclear program.
