I have great hope for peace in the Middle East. I have great hope for peace in Ukraine. And if both of those things actually happen, then credit should absolutely go to a lot of people…including our President.
But does he deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, as some have suggested?
My opinion: absolutely not.
Let’s start with Israel, Gaza, and Hamas. The day the hostages were released was a great day – I wrote about it yesterday. Families were reunited, aid started moving, and there was, for the first time in a long while, hope.
It was also a great day for many innocent Palestinians, the ones who finally got a reprieve from the bombing. We have to separate Hamas from the general population of Gaza. Yes, Hamas has supporters there, but I truly believe most people are just trying to live their lives (as I also wrote yesterday), not plotting Israel’s destruction.
And that’s exactly why I can’t get behind the idea of handing the Nobel Peace Prize to our President. How do you justify allowing the bombing of women and children, people simply living in the wrong ZIP code and still claim to be a champion of peace?
Israel had (and has) the capabilities to make more targeted, surgical strikes. Their fight against Hamas was justified, no one doubts that, but the complete destruction of Gaza wasn’t necessary. The “scorched earth” approach didn’t need to happen. And our President could have stepped in earlier. He could have used the massive influence of the United States to pressure Israel sooner, to prevent tens of thousands of civilian deaths, to push for aid before starvation set in.
Instead, he waited. Waited until Gaza was rubble. Waited until Israel bombed Qatar to start pushing for a ceasefire. That’s not peacemaking, that’s damage control.
Some people say, “Well, Hamas could have ended this at any time.” Sure. Maybe. But that doesn’t absolve the so-called Peace Negotiator in Chief from acting too late. If he’d moved earlier, used his influence with precision and purpose, I might be more open to the Nobel talk.
And then there’s Ukraine.
Same story, different geography.
The President hesitated to put pressure on Russia, held back key defense weapons for Ukraine, and publicly scolded Zelensky while whispering around Putin. Instead of pushing for peace talks, he’s nudged Ukraine toward “settlements”…code for giving in.
Let’s not overcomplicate this: Russia invaded. Ukraine was attacked. It’s not hard to say, “Russia, stop bombing and go home.” That’s how you talk to a bully. Instead, we’ve been caught in a diplomatic loop that’s more about optics than outcomes.
And then, there’s the other stuff…the quiet dismantling of USAID, which has literally cost lives by cutting off pre-approved humanitarian help. (Shoot – pallets of foodstuff were in warehouses rotting!) The questionable military actions against boats off Venezuela. The strikes on American cities. It all adds up to a pattern that doesn’t scream peacemaker.
So no, I don’t think he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
And no, “Obama got one for nothing” isn’t a valid argument. That’s like saying, “The last teacher curved the test, so I shouldn’t have to study.” Just because the standard has been lowered before doesn’t mean we should keep lowering it.
Truthfully, I don’t even know why I wrote this much about it. I don’t really care who the Nobel folks give their award to…they gave it to the Ethiopian president a few years ago and look how that turned out. I tell myself, “don’t engage.” I tell my wife, “don’t engage.” And then I engage! Maybe I just get frustrated watching the cult-like admiration that surrounds certain politicians…the kind that blinds people to logic, compassion, or accountability.
Maybe that’s my issue. Or maybe I just needed to get the thoughts out of my head to clear the way for football and Halloween stuff and getting them down on paper flushes brain. I dunno…
Still…I hope the ceasefire holds in Gaza.
I hope the war in Ukraine ends.
And I hope – maybe foolishly – that real peace doesn’t need a prize attached to it.
“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.” – Albert Einstein
MattMunnell.com 