Benjamin Netanyahu

and Israel of fomenting unrest.

They describe the protesters as terrorists and rioters.

The protests began two weeks ago against the crumbling Iranian economy.

Michelle Kellerman, NPR News, Tel Aviv.

Well, President Trump has broken so many conventions to the surprise of people, and then they figure out, oh, well, maybe, you know, he was right after all.

So we decided to break a convention, too, or create a new one.

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.

I don't know what they're talking about.

My direction is the exact opposite.

You know, when I first became prime minister in 1996, I went to the U.S.

Congress and we were receiving financial aid and military aid.

And I said, first thing is, you know, we're going to build a high tech free market capitalist economy.

We don't need the financial aid.

Phase it out.

And everybody gasped, how dare he, you know, this young prime minister eager for a PR title.

He's giving up billions of dollars.

And I was happy to do it, and I was right to do it.

So we got rid of that.

Now I want to make our arms industry independent, totally as independent as possible.