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U.S. President Donald Trump volition person Israel's highest civilian grant successful 2026, aft Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday (December 29, 2025) that his state volition interruption with decades of contented to admit a non-citizen.
Speaking aft a cordial Florida meet-up with Mr. Trump, Mr. Netanyahu said the determination reflected "overwhelming sentiment" successful Israel successful appreciation of the U.S. President's enactment for the country.
"President Trump has breached truthful galore conventions to the astonishment of people, and past they fig out, 'oh, good — maybe, you know, helium was close aft all,'" Mr. Netanyahu said to reporters.
"So we decided to interruption a normal excessively oregon make a caller one, and that is to grant the Israel Prize."
Mr. Netanyahu hailed Mr. Trump arsenic Israel's "greatest person ever" successful October — praise that followed militant radical Hamas freeing the past 20 surviving hostages taken successful the October 7 2023 attacks, nether a Gaza bid woody brokered by Mr. Trump and his team.
"I person to accidental that this reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis crossed the spectrum," the Israeli person said of Mr. Trump's award.
"They admit what you've done to assistance Israel and to assistance our communal conflict against the terrorists and those who would destruct our civilization. So again, that's an look of acknowledgment and appreciation."
Normally, the Israel Prize is reserved for Israeli citizens oregon residents, with the lone loophole being a class for "special publication to the Jewish people."
The lone different non-Israeli to person received this mentation of the grant is Indian conductor Zubin Mehta, successful 1991.
Mr. Trump, intelligibly tickled, said the grant was "really astonishing and precise overmuch appreciated," hinting that helium mightiness pitchy to Israel for the ceremony, traditionally held connected the eve of the Middle Eastern country's Independence Day.
For Mr. Trump, the accolade is different jewel successful his self-styled crown arsenic a planetary peacemaker.
In speeches and interviews, helium regularly claims — falsely that helium has "stopped 8 wars," portraying himself arsenic uniquely susceptible of imposing bid connected planetary conflicts done his unit of property and deal-making.
Mr. Trump has agelong insisted that the Nobel Peace Prize stakes bash not faze him — helium dusted down the nonchalant refrain erstwhile helium missed retired again successful 2025 — portion besides voicing vexation astatine being overlooked.
This latest grant follows Trump precocious being granted the FIFA Peace Prize, different motion to his diplomatic ambitions via symbolic validation that inactive falls abbreviated of the Nobel grant helium openly covets.
