Italian MP nominates Netanyahu for Nobel Peace Prize

Paolo Grimoldi says PM deserves award for Israel’s normalization deals with UAE, Bahrain; Finnish lawmaker also puts forward premier’s name, along with Trump’s and Bahraini king’s

By ToI Staff 16 September 2020, 6:57 pm Edit
L-R: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan wave from the Truman Balcony at the White House after they participated in the signing of the Abraham Accords, where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, in Washington, DC, September 15, 2020. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)
L-R: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan wave from the Truman Balcony at the White House after they participated in the signing of the Abraham Accords, where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognize Israel, in Washington, DC, September 15, 2020. (SAUL LOEB / AFP)

A far-right Italian lawmaker said Wednesday he has nominated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the Nobel Peace Prize, in honor of Israel’s agreement to normalize ties with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Paolo Grimoldi, of the Northern League party, put forward Netanyahu’s name after the premier took part in signing a ceremony with the two Gulf states’ foreign ministers on Tuesday at the White House.

The move came less than a week after a Norwegian lawmaker nominated US President Donald Trump for the honor, citing his work in brokering the Israeli-UAE normalization deal.

Grimoldi cited “dialogue” with Saudi Arabia, which does not have ties with the Jewish state, and the kingdom’s decision to allow Israeli overflights to the UAE.

“Historic! Thanks to Trump as well!” Grimoldi tweeted.

Grimoldi later said he hoped both Netanyahu and Trump would win the prestigious award.

“Now they are both candidates. Now it’s possible!!!” Grimoldi said.

Additionally, a Finnish parliamentarian said he submitted Netanyahu, Trump and Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa’s names to the Norwegian Nobel Committee as nominees for the peace prize after the September 11 announcement that Jerusalem and Manama would normalize relations.

“This is a historic achievement and the persistent diplomatic work and vision for peace by President Trump, Prime Minister Netanyahu and King Al Khalifa requires international recognition,” MP Vilhelm Junnila, of the right-wing Finns Party, wrote in a letter to the committee that he shared on his Twitter account.

He urged the prize committee “to give a serious and impartial consideration” to their candidacies.

With Trump’s August 13 announcement that the UAE would normalize ties with Israel, the Gulf state became the third Arab state to do after Egypt in 1979 and Jordan in 1994. Trump announced 29 days later that Bahrain would be the fourth Arab state to do so.

Prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat won the peace price in 1979 for the Camp David Accords, while prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and then foreign minister Shimon Peres won the prize in 1994 for the Oslo Accords the year before, along with Palestinian Liberation Organization leader Yasser Arafat.

AFP contributed to this report.

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