US President Donald Trump will be awarded Israel’s highest civilian honour, the Israel Prize for Peace, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday, following a bilateral meeting between the two leaders in Florida, CNN reported.
Netanyahu said the Israeli government has decided to confer the Israel Prize for Peace on Trump, marking the first time in 80 years the award will be given to a non-Israeli citizen and the first time the Peace category has been awarded.
The announcement was made by Netanyahu during a joint press briefing with Trump after their bilateral talks at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Monday. Trump reacted by calling the honour unexpected and appreciated.
“President Trump has broken so many conventions to surprise people, so we decided to break a convention or create a new one, that is to award the Israel Prize, which in 80 years, we have never awarded to a non-Israeli, to President Trump. This was announced formally over lunch by our Minister of Education that President Donald J Trump should be awarded this prize for his immense contribution to the Israeli and the Jewish people,” Netanyahu said.
“This reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the spectrum; they appreciate what you’ve done to help Israel and our common battle against the terrorists.”
Trump responded, saying the award was “really surprising and very much appreciated.”
The Israel Prize is the country’s highest civilian honour, traditionally awarded to Israeli citizens for excellence in fields such as science, arts and humanities. The Peace category has never been awarded before. In July 2025, Israel amended the prize rules to allow the honour to be given to a foreign citizen, clearing the way for Trump’s selection.
CNN reported that Trump is expected to attend Israel’s Independence Day celebrations to receive the prize.Education Minister Yoav Kisch joined the meeting by phone to formally inform Trump of the decision, and the US president indicated he would consider attending the ceremony.
Trump and Netanyahu also spoke about the second phase of the Gaza peace plan, Hamas disarmament, including the occupied West Bank. Trump acknowledged differences between the two leaders but said discussions were ongoing.
“We’ve had a discussion, big discussion, for a long time on the West Bank, and I wouldn’t say we agree on the West Bank 100%, but we will come to a conclusion on the West Bank,” Trump said.
Despite differences, Trump said he had no concerns about Israel’s actions.
“I’m not concerned about anything that Israel is doing. I’m concerned about what other people are doing or maybe aren’t doing, but I’m not concerned. They’ve lived up to the plan. They’re strong,” he said.
“Israel has lived up to the plan, 100%,” Trump added.
Netanyahu described the talks as highly productive and praised Trump’s role in the region.
“I had a very, very productive meeting with US President Donald Trump,” Netanyahu said. “Thank you for your support.”
He added that Trump has “achieved remarkable things in the Middle East because we work together.”
“We talk about our ideas. Sometimes we have different ideas, but we work it out, and most of the time, we see eye to eye,” Netanyahu said.
