Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament, is nominating President Donald Trump for the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, citing a peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) which was brokered with the help of the United States.
Tybring-Gjedde told Fox News in an exclusive interview the peace deal between Israel and the UAE is a “tremendous effort and this could be an inspiration for other Arab nations to make peace with Israel.”
He added, “It’s really worth the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Tybring-Gjedde also argued, “For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees.”
Trump announced the news of the historic peace deal on Aug. 13, as IJR previously reported.
As part of the agreement, Israel will suspend the annexation of Palestinian land.
Two nations will also join forces on a coronavirus vaccine to “help save Muslim, Jewish, and Christian lives throughout the region.”
In his nomination letter to the Nobel Committee, Tybring-Gjedde stressed the deal could act as an example of how other countries could make peace.
“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,” he wrote.
He also pointed to Trump’s “key role in facilitating contact between conflicting parties and … creating new dynamics in other protracted conflicts, such as the Kashmir border dispute between India and Pakistan, and the conflict between North and South Korea, as well as dealing with the nuclear capabilities of North Korea.”
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany weighed in on the nomination during her press briefing on Wednesday.
“This is a hard-earned and well-deserved honor for this president,” McEnany said.
She added, “President Trump’s foreign policy will always be one of peace through strength.”
Check out her remarks below:
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany: "President Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize… This is a hard-earned and well-deserved honor for this president." pic.twitter.com/4EWbPG1ayr
— The Hill (@thehill) September 9, 2020
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden voiced his support for the peace deal in August, as IJR previously reported.
He said his administration would “seek to build on this progress” and will challenge the region to “keep peace.”