OPINION: Trump deserves the Nobel peace prize for his efforts in the Middle East

President Donald Trump has single-handedly done more to promote peace in the Middle East than any other US president in a generation. One may or may not agree with his views on certain issues or his style, but what would be difficult to argue with his real commitment to building peace in the Middle East.

His latest triumph is using all his energy in putting the might of the United States to enforce a Gaza ceasefire and release of the hostages. By doing so, he has saved so many Israeli and Palestinian lives.

The Talmud and the Quran both say that saving one soul is like saving all of mankind. Trump has saved lives and Israelis, like Palestinians, are rightly celebrating this. Indeed, this is the first time in the history of the Arab Israeli conflict that an end of war led to celebrations by ordinary peoples on both sides. Ordinary Israelis and Palestinians want peace and the Trump deal has brought those emotions out into the streets of Tel Aviv and Gaza.

For this alone, he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

But Trump has done more than ending the Gaza war. He sponsored the Abraham Accords that offered so much hope to everyone in the region that the end of the Arab Israeli conflict was in sight. Bridges were built between ordinary Arabs and Israelis at grassroot level rather than mere government to government deals.

Hamas were strongly opposed to this and launched the horrific 7 October terrorist attacks to thwart regional peace building efforts. The world must now unite behind the moderates of the region to reinvigorate and expand the Abraham Accords and bring about Palestinian Israeli peace, and a final end to the Middle East conflict. We must ensure that Hamas does not succeed and that peace triumphs. We must also ensure that the extremists on the Israeli side do not have their way. Trump has given hope and has empowered ordinary Palestinians and Israelis to embrace and celebrate the ceasefire. Leaders on both sides must understand that their peoples want peace. They must all rally around Trump and use this opportunity of having an American president who is ready, willing and able to make peace happen.

Trump has succeeded in building peace in both of his terms and more importantly, has given hope once again to the whole region that peace in the Middle East is possible. Everyone must embrace this newfound hope and build on it together for a peaceful and prosperous Middle East.

Ghanem Nuseibeh is chairman of Muslims Against Antisemitism