Trump's claims for ending some wars ring hollow

The award of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuela’s chief opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has added insult to injury as far as US President Donald Trump is concerned.

- Michael Jansen, Political Correspondent

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado greets supporters atop a vehicle during a campaign rally for the presidential election, in Merida state, Venezuela.

(File/Reuters)

After she managed to unify the opposition to President Nicolas Maduro, she was barred from standing for president last year in an election regarded as neither free nor fair. She has been in hiding since the election but has given press briefings from time to time.

The Nobel committee commended her "tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela" and "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." Trump tried to lay claim to the prize right up to the day before the announcement of the winner. He cited his imposition of a ceasefire and end-of-war deal on Israel which had been relentlessly attacking Gaza for the past two years. When the award was announced, Trump claimed the committee has "proved to place politics over peace."

In a bid to impress and court Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu nominated him for the prestigious award in early July. But since nominations must be made before February Ist each year, this would have to be for the 2026 prize. Furthermore, a nomination for the peace prize by Netanyahu would hardly be a recommendation as he is under indictment for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court and under his leadership Israel has been charged with genocide by the UN commission of inquiry.