The Funniest (and Most Dangerous) Joke of the Year

On Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu, longtime master of political theater, handed Donald Trump a letter recommending him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Yes, really. In 2025.

It would be hilarious if it weren’t so tragic.

Let’s take a step back and acknowledge the absurdity here. Trump, a man best known for threatening war on his social media site, cheerleading autocrats, cozying up to Putin, and pouring gasoline on global tensions, should be in the running for a peace prize. And not by just anyone… by Netanyahu, who’s overseeing one of the most aggressive and controversial Israeli military campaigns in decades. You can’t make this stuff up.

To be clear: Trump has honestly done nothing resembling peacemaking, now or in his first administration. His foreign policy style is best described as “chaotic neutral with narcissistic undertones.” He blew up the Iran nuclear deal in his last term, has openly encouraged arms races, dismantled international norms, and has left allies around the world wondering if America had completely lost its compass.

Yet, there he was on Monday, grinning as Netanyahu handed over a letter like it was a Hallmark card: “Thanks for everything, here’s a Nobel Peace Prize nomination to go with your Big Mac.”

So what’s the basis for this nomination? Apparently, it’s the Abraham Accords—those much-hyped agreements from Trump’s first term that normalized relations between Israel and a few Arab states. Sounds impressive, until you remember those countries weren’t actually at war with Israel. No bullets stopped flying. No long-standing conflicts were resolved. The whole thing was a glorified photo-op padded with weapons sales and vague promises… that Trump now of course wants to continue.

Even if you generously call the Abraham Accords “diplomatic progress,” that was five years ago. Since then, Trump’s approach to global conflict has been all saber-rattling and zero strategy. During this second term, it’s been more of the same—talking tough, hugging strongmen, and doing everything but build lasting peace.

So why now? Why would Netanyahu suddenly resurrect the Abraham Accords and offer up a peace prize nomination like a party favor?

Simple: it’s politics. Both men are under fire, both are desperate to shore up legitimacy, and both thrive on spectacle. Trump eats flattery for breakfast, and Netanyahu knows how to feed him. The letter wasn’t about peace… it was a calculated power move. A mutual back-scratch between two leaders who have always cared more about image than impact.

It’s also a signal. Netanyahu is doubling down on Trump as his ticket to unchecked military and political freedom. So far since returning to power, Trump has already shown he has no real interest in constraining Israel’s actions in Gaza or the West Bank. A Nobel nomination is Netanyahu’s way of saying, “I’ve got your back. Now make sure you’ve got mine.”

And Trump? Well, Trump wants the Nobel the same way he wants everything else: as a trophy to hang on the wall, not as recognition for meaningful work. He’s obsessed with the fact that Obama got one. He’s brought it up at rallies, in interviews, even in passing insults. Now, thanks to Bibi, he gets to pretend he earned one too.

The whole thing is grotesquely theatrical. But more than that, it’s dangerous. It devalues what the Nobel Peace Prize is supposed to represent. It turns peace into a branding exercise. If Trump, with his record of division, violence, and bullying, is being floated as a peace icon, then words have truly lost all meaning.

So yes, Netanyahu’s Nobel letter is funny—if you’re into the kind of dark humor where clowns set fire to the circus and call it an act of public service. But the joke’s on us because behind the farce is a disturbing reality: two men consolidating power, rewriting history, and convincing millions that destruction is diplomacy.

If this is what passes for peacemaking in 2025, we’re going to need a lot more than satire to get through the next few years.