Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that President Donald Trump will receive the Israel Prize, the Jewish state's highest civilian honor, making him the first non-Israeli to be awarded the distinction in nearly 80 years of Israel's existence.

Netanyahu made the announcement during a press conference with Trump at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, following a meeting focused on the Gaza ceasefire and Iran's nuclear program.

"We decided to break a convention too, or create a new one, and that is to award the Israel Prize, which in almost our 80 years we've never awarded to a non-Israeli, and we're going to award it this year to President Trump," Netanyahu said.

The Israeli leader said Trump would receive the prize "for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people."

Netanyahu invited Trump to Israel to accept the award on Israel's Independence Day, April 22. Trump called the honor "surprising and very much appreciated" and said he would consider attending the ceremony.

How the award came about

Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch, whose department oversees the Israel Prize, informed Trump of his selection by phone during a lunch meeting between the American and Israeli delegations on Monday.

"For the first time in the history of the State of Israel: The Israel Prize will be awarded to President Trump!" Kisch wrote on social media, attaching a video of himself delivering the news to the president.

Kisch said the prize committee "noted your significant and consistent efforts on behalf of the Jewish people and the State of Israel." He described it as "the most prestigious award by the State of Israel — for 2026, in the category of 'Exceptional Contribution to the Jewish People.'"

The Israel Prize, established 72 years ago, has historically required recipients to be Israeli citizens or residents of the country for at least three years prior to nomination. However, the award includes an exception for individuals who provide a "special contribution towards the Jewish people."

Kisch revised the prize rules in July to allow Jews living abroad to be eligible for consideration. Trump's selection marks the first time the exception has been used to award the prize to a sitting foreign head of state.

Trump's record on Israel

The award recognizes Trump's actions toward Israel across both of his presidential terms.

During his first administration, Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital and relocated the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights and withdrew the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Trump also brokered the Abraham Accords, through which the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco normalized relations with Israel. He signed an executive order adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism as U.S. policy.

In his second term, Trump oversaw U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and brokered a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that went into effect in October. He also signed an executive order to combat antisemitism.

Netanyahu repeatedly praised Trump during Monday's press conference, calling him "a wartime prime minister at the highest level."

"This reflects the overwhelming sentiment of Israelis across the spectrum," Netanyahu said of the prize. "They appreciate what you've done to help Israel and to help our common battle against the terrorists and those who would destroy our civilization."

A string of international honors

The Israel Prize announcement comes weeks after Trump received another international distinction. On December 5, FIFA President Gianni Infantino awarded Trump the inaugural "FIFA Peace Prize" during the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington.

"This is your prize, this is your peace prize," Infantino said at the ceremony, citing Trump's "exceptional and extraordinary actions to promote peace and unity around the world."

The creation of the FIFA Peace Prize was announced last month, shortly after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Trump has publicly said he should have received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Meeting focuses on Gaza and Iran

Monday's Trump-Netanyahu meeting centered on advancing the Gaza ceasefire into its second phase, which calls for Hamas to disarm and cede power to a multinational transitional force.

Trump said Hamas would be given "a very short period of time to disarm" or face consequences.

"If they don't disarm as they agreed to do, there will be hell to pay for them," Trump said. "And we don't want that. We're not looking for that. But they have to disarm within a fairly short period of time."

The president did not provide a specific deadline.

Trump also addressed reports that Iran is rebuilding its nuclear program following U.S. strikes targeting the country's nuclear facilities over the summer.

"I hope Iran is not trying to build up, as I've been reading, that they're building up weapons and other things, and if they are, they're not using the sites that we obliterated, but they're using possibly different sites," Trump said. "If they are, we're going to have no choice but very quickly to eradicate that buildup."

Trump told reporters he would support Israel carrying out strikes against Iran if Tehran continued developing missiles or rapidly pursued nuclear weapons.

"If they were to continue with the missiles, yes, the nuclear, fast. One would be yes, absolutely, the other, we'll do it immediately," Trump said.

Netanyahu described Monday's summit as a "very, very productive meeting."

When asked about his personal relationship with the Israeli prime minister, Trump acknowledged that Netanyahu "can be very difficult on occasion, but you need a strong man."

"If you had a weak man, you wouldn't have Israel right now," Trump said. "With most other leaders, it would not exist."