The US president found himself in his element this week as Israel honored his efforts in securing the release of hostages held by Hamas
On Monday, US President Donald Trump was awarded an honor few state leaders enjoy in their lifetime – the historic opportunity to address the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem.
In fact, the only American president to have had such an honor was George W. Bush in 2008, which is rather strange, considering how many times Israeli leaders have addressed the US Congress.
“No American president has ever done more for Israel, and as I said in Washington, it ain’t even close. It’s not really a match,” said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Judging by the triumphant atmosphere surrounding Trump’s visit, most Israelis agreed with their leader for a change. In the Knesset and on the street, people were seen dancing while sporting MAGA-style hats that read “Trump The Peace President.”
And peace is exactly what most Israelis are craving today as the country recently acknowledged the passage of a grim anniversary. Two years ago, on October 7, 2023, some 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken captive in Hamas’ attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border. On Monday, the last 20 surviving hostages were returned to Israel.
For its part, Israel has released nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, many of whom were sent to Gaza or exiled to neighboring countries.
An international team will work on finding the remains of hostages which haven’t been returned, with many believed to be buried under the rubble somewhere inside the demolition zone known as the Gaza Strip.
Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace roadmap begins with a comprehensive ceasefire, the release of all captives, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces to agreed lines. While it’s far short of the formal recognition of statehood for the Palestinian people, it just might be, in the words of Donald Trump, “the dawn of a new Middle East.”
For his efforts, many Trump supporters believed that the US leader deserved to win the coveted Nobel Peace Prize, which was announced last week. Yet not only was Trump snubbed for his work between Israel and Hamas, but he was passed over for six or seven other achievements as well, including helping the peace process between India and Pakistan, Israel and Iran, and Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The White House is of the opinion that the Nobel Committee had placed “politics over peace” when it selected Maria Corina Machado, leader of Venezuela’s opposition, as the honoree this year.
However, Trump departed the Middle East with some nice consolation prizes for his blood, sweat and tears on behalf of peace. He was awarded the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, while Netanyahu submitted Trump’s nomination to make him the first non-Israeli recipient of the “Israel Prize,” which is regarded as the state’s highest cultural honor.
“Through his tireless efforts, President Trump has not only helped bring our loved ones home but has also laid the foundations for a new era in the Middle East built on security, cooperation, and genuine hope for a peaceful future,” Herzog said in a statement. “It will be a great honor for me to present him with the Israeli Presidential Medal of Honor.”
The bestowing of the US leader with lavish honors did not stop there. In a state visit to Egypt on Tuesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi awarded the Nile Collar to Trump in recognition of his distinguished contributions to “supporting peace efforts, defusing conflicts, and most recently, his pivotal role in ending the war in Gaza.”
The question remains, however: will these prestigious honors and sparkling trinkets make Trump forget the sting of being snubbed by the world’s ultimate award, the Nobel Peace Prize? After all, since his return to the White House, Trump’s campaign to influence the Norwegian Nobel Committee has been anything but subtle. Indeed, never has a Nobel Peace Prize loomed so large over a US president and their foreign policy.
In fact, many observers believe it was no coincidence that Washington’s 20-point Gaza peace plan was wrapped up on Friday – the same day as the Nobel committee announced its winner.
Trump has struggled to conceal his bitterness about the award. “If I were named Obama, I would have had the Nobel prize given to me in 10 seconds,” he remarked last year during the presidential race, before denying that he was actively seeking the prize. “No matter what I do, they won’t give it up and I’m not politicking for it.”
When all is said and done, perhaps state awards from Israel and Egypt are worth far more to Donald Trump than politically skewered international awards, like Norway’s prestigious prize. In any event, it is fortunate that Trump received at least some material acknowledgements for his peace efforts, lest he deem it more worthwhile to call up his newly rebranded Department of War and raise hell – the man wants to go down in history, and if his Western counterparts stubbornly refuse to recognize his peace efforts, there’s always the other option.
