Open Now
Open Now
Watch now

Trump officially nominated for 2021 Nobel Peace Prize

DONALD Trump has been nominated for a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for the “historic peace agreement” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The nomination comes from Christian Tybring-Gjedde who is a right-wing member of the Norwegian Parliament. If he wins, Trump will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and political foe, Barack Obama, …

DONALD Trump has been nominated for a 2021 Nobel Peace Prize for the “historic peace agreement” between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.

The nomination comes from Christian Tybring-Gjedde who is a right-wing member of the Norwegian Parliament.

Donald Trump announcing the peace deal last week
Donald Trump announcing the peace deal last weekCredit: Reuters
Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat elbow bumps with an Emirati official as he makes his way to board the plane to leave Abu Dhabi after agreeing to a peace deal
Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat elbow bumps with an Emirati official as he makes his way to board the plane to leave Abu Dhabi after agreeing to a peace dealCredit: Reuters

If he wins, Trump will follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and political foe, Barack Obama, who won it in 2009.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the former United States president for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people”.

The award was given just nine months into Obama’s first term as president, and received criticism that it was undeserved and politically motivated.

The UAE and Israel are due to sign the agreement at a ceremony held by Trump next Tuesday.

‘GAME-CHANGING DEAL’

Tybring-Gjedde, a four-term member of Parliament who also serves as chairman of the Norwegian delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, told Fox News: “For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees.

“I’m not a big Trump supporter.

“The committee should look at the facts and judge him on the facts – not on the way he behaves sometimes. 

“The people who have received the Peace Prize in recent years have done much less than Donald Trump. 

“For example, Barack Obama did nothing.”

The people who have received the Peace Prize in recent years have done much less than Donald TrumpChristian Tybring-Gjedde

Trump has long criticised Obama winning the award.

In September he told the UN General Assembly in New York: “They gave one to Obama immediately after his ascent to the presidency, and he had no idea why he got it.

“You know what, that was the only thing I agreed with him on.”

In his nomination letter to the Nobel Committee, Tybring-Gjedde explained how the President’s administration had played a key role in the establishment of relations between Israel and the UAE. 

He wrote: “As it is expected other Middle Eastern countries will follow in the footsteps of the UAE, this agreement could be a game changer that will turn the Middle East into a region of cooperation and prosperity.”

This is the second time he has been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize.

In 2018 he was formally selected by Tybring-Gjedde for his efforts to solve the North Korean nuclear tensions. 

A group of 18 of his biggest Republican supporters in the House of Representatives sent a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee urging it to consider Trump for the award in recognition of “his tireless work to bring peace to our world”.

Christian Tybring-Gjedde, who nominated Trump, called the Israeli-UAE a 'game-changer'
Christian Tybring-Gjedde, who nominated Trump, called the Israeli-UAE a ‘game-changer’Credit: Facebook
The peace deal was struck in August and will be signed at ceremony hosted by Donald Trump on Tuesday
The peace deal was struck in August and will be signed at ceremony hosted by Donald Trump on TuesdayCredit: Mohamed Al Hammadi / Ministry of Presidential Affairs
Trump tweeting after the 'huge breakthrough'
Trump tweeting after the ‘huge breakthrough’Credit: Twitter

The UAE-Israel ceremony will come just a month after the agreement to establish full diplomatic relations was announced on August. 13.

The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to Trump as he seeks reelection, and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians.

That announcement was followed by the first direct commercial flight between the countries and the establishment of telephone links.

The UAE also announced the end of its boycott of Israel, which allows trade and commerce between the oil-rich Emirates and Israel, home to a thriving diamond trade, pharmaceutical companies and tech start-ups.

The Palestinians have rejected the deal as trading away one of the few cards they have in moribund peace talks with Israel to establish its own independent state the Arab boycott of Israel.

The UAE presented the agreement as taking Israels planned annexation of parts of the occupied West Bank off the table.

But Netanyahu insisted the pause was temporary.

Abu Dhabi also hopes the deal will allow it to purchase advanced American weaponry, like the F-35 stealth fighter jet.

Second time lucky? Trump was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize before for peace talks with North Korea
Second time lucky? Trump was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize before for peace talks with North KoreaCredit: AFP – Getty
When Don met Kim: The two leaders agreed to work towards a nuclear free Korean peninsula
When Don met Kim: The two leaders agreed to work towards a nuclear free Korean peninsula Credit: AP:Associated Press
The agreement helped revive stalled talks
The agreement helped revive stalled talksCredit: AP:Associated Press

Follow us on Google News

Filed under