When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House Monday for dinner, he brought what has become the ultimate host gift for President Donald Trump: a letter nominating him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The award has become Trump’s fixation, which he believes is well deserved for efforts to end global conflicts, including the 21-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
A lasting resolution to that war hinges partly on Netanyahu’s willingness to accept a ceasefire deal, something Trump intended to press him on during their dinner in the White House Blue Room.
Despite negotiations still underway, Netanyahu praised Trump’s peacemaking skills, presenting him with the nomination letter. “He’s forging peace, as we speak, in one country, in 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.” Trump responded emotionally: “Thank you very much. This I didn’t know. Wow. Coming from you, in particular, this is very meaningful. Thank you very much, Bibi.”
For Trump, brokering a deal to end the Gaza war would boost both his Nobel ambitions and his long-standing quest to bring peace to the Middle East. “I’m stopping wars. I’m stopping wars. And I hate to see people killed,” Trump said as dinner began. While he sees Netanyahu as a key partner, Trump has not hesitated to criticize him when he becomes an obstacle. Now, Trump needs both Hamas and Netanyahu to accept terms they’ve previously resisted — specifically whether the ceasefire ends the war entirely.
Even as Trump embraces Netanyahu, inviting him to dinner, aligning with Israel against Iran, and calling for the cancellation of Netanyahu’s corruption trial — he is also pressuring the prime minister to deliver a ceasefire in Gaza. “We had a great time, would say it was a lot of work, but we had a great result recently,” Trump said, seemingly referring to the bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. “And we’re going to have a lot of great results.”
There are signs of momentum. Trump may need to intensify pressure on Netanyahu to ensure the deal doesn’t collapse. “The president could put pressure on the prime minister, but can also give enticements,” said Michael Oren, former Israeli ambassador to the U.S. “One of them would be keeping a military option on the table vis-a-vis Iran… a very difficult decision given the depth of American opposition… to further American military involvement in Iran.”
Negotiators from Israel and Hamas were in Qatar, finalizing a 60-day truce involving phased hostage releases and increased aid to Gaza.
The White House said Trump’s foreign envoy, Steve Witkoff, would join the talks later in the week, a sign of continued progress. Qatar’s latest proposal, presented last week, was quickly accepted by Israel. It included language addressing Hamas’ demand that any ceasefire lead to a comprehensive end to the war.
Hamas responded positively to the proposal but requested adjustments. Although Israel called the changes “unacceptable,” it agreed to send a delegation for proximity talks, one of the final steps before a formal deal. “They want to meet and they want to have that ceasefire,” Trump said of the talks.
Ceasefire deals have repeatedly collapsed due to irreconcilable differences, but the shifting dynamics after the 12-day Israel-Iran war have generated renewed optimism.
“The prime minister’s coming to this meeting now much strengthened by Israel’s military victory over Iran. The president is coming into this meeting much strengthened by America’s victory over Iran,” Oren said. “Both leaders can show a certain amount of flexibility. Clearly, the president wants this deal.”
If a deal is finalized, Trump is positioned to claim credit, with Netanyahu’s support. Before leaving Israel for Washington, Netanyahu said the meeting “can certainly help advance these results.”
Trump also expressed optimism to reporters in New Jersey, “I think there’s a good chance we have a deal with Hamas during the week… pertaining to quite a few of the hostages.”
To Trump, ending the Gaza war could pave the way for his broader regional goals, especially normalizing relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel as part of the Abraham Accords.
Saudi leaders, including Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, have said normalization cannot occur while the Gaza war continues, making a ceasefire essential to Trump’s ambitions.
Netanyahu echoed this sentiment Monday, saying, “I think we can work out a peace between us and the entire Middle East with President Trump’s leadership… we can establish a very, very broad peace that will include all our neighbors.”
Beyond a ceasefire, discussions are also ongoing about Gaza’s post-war future — including who governs the enclave and how Gulf countries might assist in rebuilding it.
A controversial idea, first floated by Trump in February, involved seizing Gaza, relocating Palestinian residents, and redeveloping it into a “Riviera of the Middle East.” The plan drew backlash and was largely shelved.
Asked Monday if that option was still viable, Trump deferred to Netanyahu. “I think President Trump had a brilliant vision. It’s called free choice,” Netanyahu said. “You know, if people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn’t be a prison.”
