After the Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Friday, dashing hopes among some supporters that Donald J. Trump might be selected, Israel Prize laureate Ronny Douek formally nominated the US president for the Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement and Special Contribution to Society and the State.
The Nobel Prize awards actions from the previous year, meaning nominations were closed before Trump took office. However, he may still be eligible to receive the award in 2026.
In a letter to Education Minister Yoav Kisch, Douek asked that the prize be presented on Israel’s upcoming Independence Day and requested an exception to allow a non-Israeli recipient. He wrote that Trump “proved through actions his uncompromising commitment to Israel’s security and to peace in the Middle East,” pointing to Washington’s role in advancing the current ceasefire and hostage-release framework.
Douek’s submission cites milestones from Trump’s first term, including US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the embassy move in 2018, recognition of Israeli sovereignty on the Golan Heights in 2019, and the US-brokered Abraham Accords with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, later joined by Morocco and Sudan.
It also credits Trump and his team with recent diplomacy toward ending the Gaza war and returning the remaining hostages. Some of the broader regional claims in the nomination, such as de-escalation with Syria and constraining Hezbollah, reflect the nominator’s characterization.
The Education Ministry has not announced how it will handle the exemption request. Historically, the Israel Prize has favored citizens or residents, with rare exceptions.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee named Machado the laureate for 2025, citing her leadership of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement despite repression and personal risk.
White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung said, "President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will. The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace."
The Prime Minister of Israel's X/Twitter account retweeted Cheung, adding that, "The Nobel Committee talks about peace. President Trump makes it happen. The facts speak for themselves. President Trump deserves it."