Trump to become first foreign leader awarded Israel Prize

President Donald Trump was awarded Israel’s highest civilian honor during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, marking the first time the Israel Prize has been granted to a foreign leader, according to Israeli officials.

The award was conveyed to Trump during a phone call from Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch while Trump and Netanyahu were meeting at Mar-a-Lago. Kisch informed Trump that he had been selected to receive the Israel Prize, which he said would be presented under a newly created category, the Israel Prize for Peace, according to the Times of Israel.

Israel’s top civilian honor has traditionally been awarded to Israeli citizens for achievements in fields such as science, culture, and public service. Kisch said the peace category had not previously existed. Trump thanked Kisch during the call and said he would consider traveling to Israel to attend the country's Independence Day ceremony, where the prize would be formally presented.

Netanyahu later confirmed the decision publicly, saying the prize was being awarded to Trump “for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people.” According to the Jerusalem Post, the Israel Prize has only rarely been awarded to non-Israelis, typically under a special category recognizing contributions to the Jewish people.

The announcement came as Trump and Netanyahu held talks covering a range of regional security issues, including Gaza, Iran, and the West Bank. Following the meeting, the two leaders appeared together at a joint press conference.

Trump said the discussions included Hamas and the issue of disarmament. He warned the terrorist group would face consequences if it failed to comply with agreements. “Hamas will be given a very short period to disarm,” Trump said. “And we’ll see how that works out. But if they don’t disarm – as they agreed to do, they agreed to it – then there’ll be hell to pay for them.”

He added, “And we don’t want that. But they have to disarm within a fairly short period of time.”

Trump also addressed concerns over Israel’s role in the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, saying he had no concerns about Israel’s actions.

“I’m not concerned about anything that Israel is doing,” Trump said. “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. Israel has lived up to the plan, 100%.”

The second phase of the ceasefire framework includes further Israeli troop withdrawals, Hamas disarmament, reconstruction in Gaza, and the establishment of an interim governing authority. Senior officials in the Trump administration have reportedly expressed frustration with delays in moving to that phase.

Trump was also asked about Israel’s actions in the West Bank and reports of settler violence. He said he and Netanyahu do not fully agree on the issue but suggested a resolution would be reached. “We don’t agree on the West Bank 100%, but we’ll come to a conclusion on the West Bank,” Trump said. “He will do the right thing.”

During the press conference, Trump also addressed Iran, saying he believes Tehran may be attempting to rebuild its nuclear program at new locations.

“If they are, we’re going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that build-up,” Trump said. He added that the United States is closely monitoring Iran’s activities and will not allow the country to reconstitute its weapons capabilities.

Trump and Netanyahu both described the meeting as productive. Trump said they “came to a lot of conclusions,” while Netanyahu again thanked Trump for his support of Israel.