Overview

• On July 9, Netanyahu handed Trump a letter confirming that he formally nominated him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize after their Washington meeting on a Gaza ceasefire two days earlier.
• Only a select group—including heads of state, national legislators, university professors, past laureates and Norwegian Nobel Committee members—may submit nominations by the February 1 deadline.
• Nobel statutes bar the committee from disclosing nominations or deliberations for 50 years, meaning today’s recommendation will remain confidential until 2076.
• Trump’s latest nomination follows previous endorsements from U.S. and foreign politicians but represents only one entry among potentially dozens under review.
• Critics argue the nomination exemplifies political cynicism and that the prize is being leveraged as a diplomatic symbol rather than a recognition of concrete peacemaking achievements.