What to know about the Nobel Peace Prize as Netanyahu nominates Trump
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their Oval Office meeting July 7 gave Trump a letter that he said he used to nominate the U.S. president for the coveted international prize.
The Israeli leader said in the letter that he was nominating him for his role in the 2020 Abraham Accords, which established normalized diplomatic relationships between Israel and the nations of Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
More: Trump, Netanyahu look to relocate Palestinians voluntarily from Gaza to other countries
"President Trump has demonstrated steadfast and exceptional dedication to promoting peace, security and stability around the world," Netanyahu wrote in the letter, which was released to the public on July 8. The letter said Trump's efforts "have brought about dramatic change and created new opportunities to expand the circle of peace and normalization" in the Middle East.
Netanyahu's letter, dated July 1 and addressed to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, joins a growing list of political allies of the president who have thrown their support behind a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. Since taking office in his second term less than six months ago, Trump has supported Israel's military operations in Gaza and in June, joined its 12-day aerial conflict with Iran by bombing several nuclear sites in Iran.
Netanyahu not the first to nominate Trump for the prize
The president has made his desire for the prize well known over the years, and spoke about it in a February Oval Office meeting with Netanyahu.
"They will never give me a Nobel Peace Prize," he said to reporters during the meeting. "It's too bad, I deserve it, but they will never give it to me."
More: Trump wants Saudi Arabia to join Abraham Accords. What are they?
Sen. Bernie Moreno a Republican representing Ohio, introduced a resolution in the Senate on June 25 arguing Trump should be nominated for the prize for his authorization of military strikes on Iran. Pakistan recommended the president for the prize a day before the strikes, for his 'decisive diplomatic intervention' amid escalations between India and Pakistan earlier this year, only to revoke it in response to the aerial bombing. Another Republican lawmaker, Georgia Rep. Buddy Carter, also sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee on June 24 recommending him for the prize, citing the Iran-Israel ceasefire reached the same day.
Here's what to know about the Nobel Peace Prize, how it's awarded, and how many U.S. presidents have won the distinction.
What is the Nobel Peace Prize and who can win one?
The Nobel Prizes are a set of awards given each year to those who 'conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,' as described by its founder, Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel.
When Nobel died in 1896, he left most of his fortune to establish these prizes, and dictated the parameters of the awards in his will. He wrote they should go to the person "who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses."
In an introduction on the Nobel website, Chair of the Peace Prize Committee Jorgen Watne Frydnes says, "In practice, anyone can be the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. The history of the prize shows clearly it's given to people from all layers of society from all over the world."
Who votes for Nobel Peace Prize winners?
There are six Nobel Prize categories, including the Nobel Peace Prize. The other five Nobel Prize categories are physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature, and the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in economic sciences.
Nobel specifically designated the institutions responsible for choosing the prize winners. They include the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Karolinska Institute, the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Committee consists of five individuals appointed by the Norwegian parliament and are often retired politicians, but not always. The current committee is led by the head of the Norwegian branch of PEN International, a group defending freedom of expression. Members make a shortlist, and each nominee is then assessed by a group of permanent advisers and other experts.
The committee aims for unanimity but can decide winners by majority vote. A final decision is often only made a few days before the prize is announced, according to Reuters.
Who can be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize?
Thousands of people can propose names to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, including lawmakers, heads of state, professors and former Nobel Peace Prize laureates, among others. Individuals cannot, however, nominate themselves, and lists of nominees are kept secret by the committee for 50 years. Most reports of nominations come from individuals disclosing their choices, as in the case of Netanyahu's recent publicization of the letter he sent proposing Trump get the prize.
However, nominations close on Jan. 31, meaning Netanyahu's nomination of Trump would not be considered this year. Members of the committee can make their own nominations no later than the first meeting of the committee in February.
When is the Nobel Peace Prize announced?
The announcement of this year's prize will be made on Oct. 10 at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo, and prizes are officially awarded each year on Dec. 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death. Winners get a medal, a diploma and approximately $1.15 million in prize money.
Past Nobel Peace Prize winners include four American presidents
U.S. presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama have all won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Contributing: Reuters.
Kathryn Palmer is a national trending news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kapalmer@usatoday.com and on X @KathrynPlmr.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who can win the Nobel Peace Prize? Trump nominated by Netanyahu
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