Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
Jared Kushner, flanked by aide Avi Berkowitz (L) and Brian Hook, former U.S. envoy to Iran, during a press briefing on the agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates at White House in Washington, DC, on 13 August 2020
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Former White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and his deputy, Avi Berkowitz, have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Mr Kushner and Mr Berkowitz were nominated for the prize on Sunday for their role in negotiating four normalisation deals between Israel and Arab nations, called the “Abraham Accords.”
The four deals were announced between August and December 2020, and were the most significant diplomatic breakthroughs in the Middle East for 25 years, according to Reuters.
Mr Kushner, who is the son-in-law of former US President Donald Trump, and Mr Berkowitz, the Trump administration’s Middle East envoy, were senior figures in the negotiations between Israel, Morocco, Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.
The pair were nominated for the honour by attorney Alan Dershowitz, who was able to recognise them through his role as a professor emeritus of Harvard Law School.
Mr Dershowitz defended Mr Trump during his first impeachment trial in 2020 and claimed last month that the former president’s second trial, for inciting the Capitol riots on 6 January, should be dismissed.
In 2020, 318 people were nominated for the prize, as an individual can be nominated by anyone deemed eligible by the committee, with it accepted if received before 1 February.
Those eligible include members of government cabinets, university professors and directors of peace research and foreign policy institutes.
In his letter to the Nobel committee, Mr Dershowitz wrote: “The Nobel Peace Prize is not for popularity.
“Nor is it an assessment of what the international community may think of those who helped bring about peace. It is an award for fulfilling the daunting criteria set out by Alfred Nobel in his will.”
Mr Kushner released a statement on Sunday saying he was honoured to be nominated for the prize.
Social media users mainly reacted with confusion to the announcement on Sunday, as @Chrissie_london wrote: “Jared Kushner has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize!!?? I've woken up in an alternative universe again…”
Jared Kushner has been nominated for the Nobel peace prize!!?? I've woken up in an alternative universe again...
— Christine Mills 🇪🇺 #FBPE (@Chrissie_london) February 1, 2021
User @FrankRyan1936 added: “Folks its February 1 not April 1,” while Paul Bernal, associate professor of Law at the University of East Anglia, England, said: “Your irregular reminder that it takes almost nothing to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Your irregular reminder that it takes almost nothing to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Amongst others, Associate Professors in Law can nominate anyone they feel like. Yes, that could be me. I could nominate whoever I want for the Nobel Peace Prize.
— Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) February 1, 2021
“Amongst others, Associate Professors in Law can nominate anyone they feel like. Yes, that could be me. I could nominate whoever I want for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
Mr Trump was nominated for the prize in 2018 and again this year by the far-Right Norwegian politician Christian Tybring-Gjedde.
The winner for 2021 will be announced in October, with climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny and the World Health Organisation among the other nominees.
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