Jared Kushner nominated for Nobel Peace Prize over Israel normalisation efforts

Former deputy White House advisor Avi Berkowitz was also nominated by American attorney and professor emeritus of Harvard Law School, Alan Dershowitz.

In his nomination letter to the Nobel committee, 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."

Dershowitz has been the primary defender of Trump in his first impeachment trial last year and insisted to The Wall Street Journal that the Senate should dismiss the articles of impeachment against Trump after his supporters raided Capitol Hill on 6 January.

Kushner had played a key part in negotiating deals between Israel and the UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco in what has been referred to as the "Abraham Accords".

Controversial nominee?

Kushner's nomination is not without opposition, and the Nobel Peace Prize has a controversial history.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and former US President Donald Trump have both been nominated in the past.

Upon learning the news, one Twitter user wrote: "At first I thought, 'is that a sick joke?' Then I thought, 'hang on, who nominated him?'... Trump's FIRST impeachment lawyer (as in first of TWO) @AlanDersh of @Harvard_Law who says 'Trump shouldn't be impeached out of office'. Then I thought, 'yeah that makes sense'".

Following normalisation efforts, Arab nations are consolidating relations with Israel by establishing diplomatic relations.

Israel opened its embassy in Abu Dhabi and shortly after the UAE cabinet approved opening its own embassy in Tel Aviv.

Sudan and Israel agreed to opening respective embassies "soon".

Late last month Morocco signed a direct flight agreement with Israel after the pair agreed to normalise ties in December last year.

The deals were somewhat controversial in the Middle East, with several countries opposing normalisation efforts with Israel on the grounds of its alleged human rights abuses against Palestinians, and its occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza.

The head of Algeria's largest Islamist party branded Morocco's prime minister a "Zionist" after the kingdom's normalisation deal with Israel.