Netanyahu Endorses Trump for Nobel Peace Prize: A Review of His Claimed Diplomatic Achievements

Tel Aviv:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly endorsed former United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize on Thursday through a statement on social media platform X.

"Give @realDonaldTrump the Nobel Peace Prize - he deserves it!" Netanyahu wrote in his post, which featured an image of President Trump standing triumphantly with raised arms amidst applause, confetti, and Israeli flags, against a backdrop with the message "Peace Through Strength."

The endorsement gained significant online traction, coming just weeks after Trump addressed the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23, where he made bold claims about his diplomatic accomplishments during his presidency.

During his UN address, Trump declared, "In just 7 months, I have ended 7 unendable wars. They said they were unendable, some were going for 31 years, one was 36 years. I ended 7 wars, and in all cases they were raging with countless thousands of people being killed."

Trump specifically referenced conflicts between Cambodia and Thailand, Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan as disputes he helped resolve.

Earlier, at the American Cornerstone Institute Founder's Dinner on September 21, Trump had elaborated on his peacemaking efforts, suggesting he deserved Nobel Prize recognition for "ending seven wars." He explained his diplomatic approach, stating, "We are forging peace agreements, and we are stopping wars. So we stopped wars between India and Pakistan, Thailand and Cambodia."

Regarding the India-Pakistan situation specifically, Trump claimed his trade-centered approach was key: "Think of India and Pakistan. Think of that. And you know how I stopped that -- with trade. They want to trade. And I have great respect for both leaders."

Trump further asserted that "60 percent" of these conflict resolutions were achieved through trade leverage. Regarding India, he stated, "Like with India, I said, 'Look, we're not going to do any trade if you're going to fight and they have nuclear weapons. They stopped."

Addressing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, Trump expressed disappointment that despite his self-proclaimed peacemaking abilities, this particular war proved more challenging. "I said, 'Well, what about the seven others? I should get a Nobel Prize for each one'. So they said, 'but if you stop Russia and Ukraine, sir, you should be able to get the Nobel'."

Trump acknowledged his complicated relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin: "Because I have a good relationship with President Putin, disappointed in him, but I do. I thought that would be the easiest one, but we'll get it done one way or the other."

The former president suggested energy policy could influence the war's resolution: "That (oil drilling) will automatically stop the war with Russia and Ukraine; you get the prices down a little bit more, that's got to stop it."

During a press conference with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trump criticized Putin's military campaign: "He has let me down. I mean, he's killing many people and he's losing more people than he's, you know, than he's killing. I mean, frankly, Russian soldiers are being killed at a higher rate than the Ukrainian soldiers."

Trump maintained his belief that the Russia-Ukraine war would not have occurred during his administration: "This was a thing that would have never happened had I been president. If I were president, it would have never happened. And it didn't happen for four years."

He referenced previous diplomatic efforts with Putin, including a summit in Alaska where he encouraged direct engagement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, though "a peace deal did not materialize."

The Russia-Ukraine conflict began with Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and escalated into full-scale war in February 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine with the stated aim to "demilitarize and denazify" the country. The conflict continues with ongoing fighting in multiple regions, including a recent Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk Oblast in August 2024.