Trump Expected to Announce Another Game Changer for Peace in the Middle East

UPDATE: President Trump makes it official. Bahrain is joining UAE in signing a peace deal with Israel.

"It's unthinkable this could happen, and so fast," he said from the White House on Friday. He thanked Bahrain and Israel for their "leadership and courage."

ORIGINAL POST

According to several reports, President Trump is expected to announce on Friday that Bahrain is normalizing ties with Israel. It would come just about a month after the United Arab Emirates officially recognized Israel as a legitimate country in the Middle East. 

The president hinted as much during his White House press conference on Thursday.

"Next week at the White House we’ll be having a signing between the UAE and Israel, and we could have another country added into that," Trump said. "And I will tell you that countries are lining up that want to go into it."

The news comes a few days ahead of Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa's visit to Washington, D.C.

President Trump was recently nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize thanks in part to his efforts in the Middle East. His name was put forward by Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a member of the Norwegian Parliament.

“For his merit, I think he has done more trying to create peace between nations than most other Peace Prize nominees,” Tybring-Gjedde said. He added that the president has become a leader in helping turn the Middle East "into a region of cooperation and prosperity."