Trump’s Efforts Deserve Praise – but not the Nobel Peace Prize.

Today, the Nobel Committee awarded Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to defend democracy. Machado, known as Venezuela’s “Iron Lady,” has been forced into hiding and barred from holding office as she’s become a symbol of democratic resistance. The Nobel Committee, which reportedly chose its winner a few weeks ago, identified Ms. Machado as a leader “who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness” of President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarianism, including election fraud, political violence, and suppression of free speech.

In its statement announcing its selection, the Nobel Committee concluded that “the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace,” and Ms. Machado “embodies the hope of a different future, one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected, and their voices are heard,” demonstrating that “democracy is a precondition for lasting peace.” This year’s Nobel Peace Prize underscored that peace and democracy are inextricably linked and rewarded a champion of democracy.

It’s no secret that Donald Trump hoped to win the Nobel Peace Prize – he publicly stated that he deserved it at least half a dozen times, and was obsequiously nominated by Prime Minister Netanyahu, among others. The selection of Ms. Machado disappointed the Trump White House, which responded that the Committee decided to “place politics over peace.” That’s actually not true, as it’s clear the Nobel Committee chose democracy over authoritarianism.

Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Gaza are deserving of praise. His team, led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, drafted, negotiated, and reached a deal between Israel and Hamas predicated on a 20-point plan for peace. Earlier this week, Hamas agreed to the first phase of the plan – a return of all 48 remaining hostages, living and deceased, in exchange for 250 Palestinian prisoners plus 1,700 Gazans who were detained after October 7. Yesterday, the Israeli Cabinet approved the agreement, and today, Trump announced he’ll visit Egypt on Saturday for an official signing of the deal. He’ll also visit Israel on Monday and address the Knesset. If all goes according to plan, the remaining living hostages will be released on Monday.

For more than two years, Israelis and American Jews have shared the lasting and collective trauma of October 7. Nearly 1,200 people were murdered by Hamas on that horrific day, and 250 were taken hostage. Approximately 1,000 members of the IDF have been killed in the two years of fighting in Gaza, and tens of thousands of Palestinian civilians have died. This war, and the plight of the hostages, must come to an end. Two years and one week after their abduction, all the remaining hostages will be reunited with their loved ones, and we are grateful to all those who made it possible, including Donald Trump.

More than 100 Democratic members of Congress have responded positively to the peace deal because this moment transcends partisan politics, and Democrats are hopeful about what comes next. While Hamas has only agreed to phase one of the deal – the hostage and prisoner exchange – it should be followed by a second phase that includes Hamas’s demilitarization and relinquishing of power in Gaza. Trump’s plan clearly states that “Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and to decommission their weapons will be given amnesty. Members of Hamas who wish to leave Gaza will be provided safe passage to receiving countries.”

Donald Trump’s efforts to end this war are deserving of praise. Trump, however, is not deserving of a Nobel Peace Prize because he continues to attack, degrade, and jeopardize democracy. Two things can be true: President Trump took an important positive step forward in the Middle East, and he continues to take our freedoms and democracy backward in the United States.

As the Nobel Committee made clear in today’s awarding of the prize, “we live in a world where democracy is in retreat.” The global trends identified by the Committee, including “rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed towards authoritarian rule and militarization,” are all happening here in the United States, at the clear direction of Donald Trump. Despite his achievement in forging an agreement between Israel and Hamas, Trump cannot be both a symbol of authoritarianism and peace.

Shabbat Shalom,

Halie Soifer

CEO, Jewish Democratic Council of America