Quick: who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year?
You probably couldn’t name the winner any better than I could. You may not even know what they won the Nobel Peace Prize for. But I bet you remember the Camp David Accords back in 1977, who was President, and what that historic peace deal was about. Those who truly seek peace should focus upon building a lasting agreement, instead of headlines and an award to stick into a trophy case.
When I ask people who won the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024, I get blank stares. I knew it was for nuclear weapons, and the person was from Japan.
It’s Nihon Hidankyo, by the way.
But most answer my question about the Camp David Accords, knowing it was the Sinai Peace deal between Egypt and Israel. They know Jimmy Carter was the President responsible for this historic peace treaty, which persists even today, despite predictions by detractors of the deal.
Some know Israel’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Egypt’s Anwar Sadat won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 (a year after the accords). They are surprised to learn Carter did not win it that year. It came decades later, for a lifetime of achievements and service. But it’s hard think of that amazing Middle East Peace deal without Carter being the one to deserve the credit for his tireless work on that agreement.
By all accounts, President Donald Trump should receive a lot of similar accolades for the Israel-Gaza Peace Agreement. If the Israeli hostages can be exchanged for jailed Gazans, and there can be a real cease-fire with a chance for Palestinians to get some much-needed relief supplies and eventually starting to rebuild after an Israeli military pullback, there should be much to celebrate. And Trump can receive a lot of credit for his efforts.
As the ink was still drying on this last-minute deal, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to María Corina Machado of Venezuela for her efforts to peacefully resist the brutal Communist regime.
Even though nominations for the Peace Prize were due back in January of this year, long before the Hamas-Israel peace deal was even proposed, the White House team complained about Trump being “snubbed.” The Nobel Committee responded as well, explaining their criteria for the vote. The chair was too polite to point out that demanding an award for events the night before it is given out for nominations due months ago had little to do with “politics over peace” as the White House team claimed.
Of course, that means Trump is certainly eligible to win next year. And he probably would be a strong candidate. He’s already received the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But there are other things our president could do to cement this award. Razing Gaza to make a Riviera while relocating the Palestinians to South Sudan might not go over so well with the committee.
Hopefully, he’ll resist the urge to let Putin order the genocide of the Ukrainians (I have even written earlier suggesting Trump could win the award by bringing this conflict to peace instead of a Russian slaughter). Perhaps giving political asylum to pro-democracy Venezuelans in place of deporting them back to Maduro, or a Salvadoran prison might win Trump votes. And we could return to interdicting suspicious ships instead of bombing them.
But most of all, Trump could learn from Carter, and focus on a legacy of lasting peace, and presidential credit for such a deal, if he wants to go down in the history books.