“Will the reconstruction of Gaza will begin even before Hamas is disarmed?” “I think it’s going to begin pretty soon here.” “Well, President Trump has broken so many conventions to the surprise of people. And that is to award the Israel Prize, which in almost our 80 years, we’ve never awarded it to a non-Israeli. And we’re going to award it this year to President Trump. This was announced formally over lunch by our minister of education, who is responsible for the Israel Prize. It’s going to be awarded to President Donald J. Trump for his tremendous contributions to Israel and the Jewish people.”

Source: New York Times December 30, 2025 10:07 UTC