Netanyahu nominates Trump for Nobel Peace Prize – Here’s what it means

In a letter handed to Trump in early July during their meeting at the White House, Netanyahu said that “few world leaders have achieved such tangible breakthroughs to peace in such a short time.” The main reason for the nomination was the Abraham Accords, the agreements that normalized Israel’s relations with the UAE, Bahrain, and Morocco.

How the selection process works and who can nominate candidates

The selection process for the Nobel Peace Prize begins in September, when the Norwegian Nobel Committee starts preparing to receive nominations. Eligible nominators include members of national parliaments, governments, and international courts; university rectors; professors of social sciences, history, philosophy, law, and theology; directors of peace research and foreign affairs institutes; Nobel Peace Prize laureates; board members of organisations that have received the prize; current and former members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee; and former advisers to the Norwegian Nobel Institute.

This means that Netanyahu’s nomination of Trump is official and fully in line with the committee’s procedures.

The Nobel Committee does not reveal the names of nominees for 50 years. Only general statistics are published: for the 2025 Peace Prize, 338 nominations have been submitted, including 244 individuals and 94 organisations. Sometimes names appear in the media, either due to speculation or because nominators themselves announce their submissions publicly.

The deadline for nominations is 1 February; submissions received after that date are carried over to the following year. Between February and March, the committee reviews all nominations and compiles a shortlist, which usually includes 20 to 30 candidates.

From March to August, a detailed assessment is carried out by the committee’s permanent advisers, including the institute’s director, research director, and a small group of Norwegian university professors with broad expertise in fields relevant to the Peace Prize. Occasionally, opinions are also sought from other Norwegian or international experts.

Once these assessments are complete, the Nobel Committee holds thorough discussions on the most likely candidates. In early October, the committee votes to select the laureate by majority decision. The result is final and cannot be appealed. The winner is then announced in October, with the award ceremony taking place on 10 December in Oslo.

Does Netanyahu’s nomination have any real impact?

From a practical standpoint, Netanyahu’s nomination does not carry much weight. The deadline for the 2025 prize has already passed, and for 2026 Trump has already been nominated by others, including Congressman Darrell Issa (March 4, 2025), Congressman Buddy Carter (June 24, 2025), and the government of Pakistan (June 2025).

Nevertheless, Trump remains in contention for the 2025 prize thanks to at least one valid nomination submitted before the deadline. Notably, Anat Alon-Beck, an Israeli professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, sent a letter to the Nobel Committee endorsing Trump before nominations closed.

As a result, Trump will be considered as a candidate for both the 2025 and 2026 Nobel Peace Prizes.

Earlier, Kazinform News Agency reported that Trump announced 35% tariff on Canadian goods from August 1.