Benjamin Netanyahu has presented president Trump with a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize after the US president called for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
The Israeli prime minister visited the White House on Monday in the leaders’ first face to face meeting since Trump launched the attacks on Iran.
Netanyahu said Trump would be “well deserved” to win the international award, which has previously been given to Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr.
“The president has already realised a great opportunity. He forged the Abraham Accords. He’s forging peace as we speak in one country and one region after the other,” Netanyahu said. “So, I want to present to you, Mr President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee. It’s nominating you for the peace prize, which is well deserved.”
“This I didn’t know,” Trump replied. “Wow. Thank you very much. Coming from you in particular, this is very meaningful.”
The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the person who does the most for “fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.
Netanyahu told journalists earlier this week that America and Israel were working with other countries who would give Palestinians “a better future” and suggested Gazans could move elsewhere.
“If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave,” he added.
Trump said: “We’ve had great cooperation from… surrounding countries, great cooperation from every single one of them. So something good will happen.”
The US president was nominated for the award by Oleksandr Merezhko, the head of Ukraine’s parliamentary foreign committee, last November but the nomination was withdrawn last month.
The Ukrainian politician said he “lost any sort of faith and belief” in Trump’s ability to sort a ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia.