In a historic departure from tradition, Israel will award President Donald Trump the Israel Prize, the nation’s highest cultural honor, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday following a meeting with the former president at Mar-a-Lago.

“We decided to break a convention, 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,” Netanyahu said during their joint press appearance. The announcement was formally made during lunch by Israel’s minister of education, who oversees the prestigious award.

Netanyahu emphasized that the honor recognizes Trump’s “tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people,” calling it “such a fitting thing.” Trump, accepting the recognition, described it as “a great honor.”

The unprecedented award comes in the wake of a significant diplomatic breakthrough that ended nearly two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas. The war began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists attacked southern Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and taking approximately 240 hostages. The subsequent conflict in Gaza is estimated to have resulted in tens of thousands of casualties.

In October, Netanyahu publicly praised Trump as the “greatest friend Israel has ever had,” following the release of the final 20 living Israeli hostages under a peace agreement mediated by Trump and his administration. “No American president has ever done more for Israel,” Netanyahu stated at the time. “It ain’t even close.”

The Israeli leader credited Trump with several significant policy decisions benefiting Israel during his presidency, including defending Israel at the United Nations, recognizing Israel’s territorial claims in the West Bank (also known as Judea and Samaria), and withdrawing the United States from the Iran nuclear deal, which Netanyahu characterized as “disastrous.”

The recent peace agreement between Israel and Hamas represents a significant diplomatic achievement after months of negotiation led by Trump administration officials. Under the terms of the deal, Hamas released the remaining Israeli hostages in exchange for Israel freeing 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

The agreement includes a comprehensive 20-point plan designed not only to end the immediate conflict but also to establish a framework for Gaza’s future. Among its provisions, the plan offers amnesty or safe passage to Hamas members who renounce violence, while excluding those who continue armed resistance from participation in Gaza’s governance.

The Israel Prize, typically reserved for Israeli citizens who have demonstrated excellence in their fields or made exceptional contributions to the nation, has never before been awarded to a foreign national. This unprecedented decision underscores the significance Israeli leadership places on Trump’s support for the country.

Netanyahu suggested that the award reflects widespread sentiment among Israelis across the political spectrum, who appreciate Trump’s actions in support of Israel and their shared opposition to terrorism and threats to “our civilization.”

The meeting at Mar-a-Lago and the subsequent announcement mark another chapter in the close relationship between Trump and Netanyahu, which has spanned years and multiple administrations. Their continued alliance comes at a time when both leaders have faced significant political challenges domestically while navigating complex regional tensions in the Middle East.

The peace agreement, which Trump celebrated as achieving “the impossible,” represents one of the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the protracted Israeli-Palestinian conflict in recent years, though numerous challenges remain in implementing its provisions and establishing lasting stability in the region.