Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said that he had agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
The board, chaired by Trump, was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan, but has become a larger concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it would soon broker global conflicts.
Netanyahu’s office had previously said the executive committee — which includes Turkey, a key regional rival — was not coordinated with the Israeli government and “is contrary to its policy,” without clarifying its objections.
Photo: AP
Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich has criticized the board and called for Israel to take unilateral responsibility for Gaza’s future.
Others who have joined the board are the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina. Others, including the UK, Russia and the executive arm of the EU, say they have received invitations, but have not yet responded.
It came as Trump traveled to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he was expected to provide more details about the board.
It was not immediately clear how many or which other leaders would receive invitations.
Asked by a reporter on Tuesday if the board should replace the UN, Trump said: “It might.”
The UN “hasn’t been very helpful” and “has never lived up to its potential,” he said, but added that the UN should continue ”because the potential is so great.”
“Yes to implementing the peace plan presented by the president of the United States, which we wholeheartedly support, but no to creating an organization as it has been presented, which would replace the United Nations,” French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot said.
After being told on Monday that French President Emmanuel Macron was unlikely to join the Board of Peace, Trump said: “Well, nobody wants him, because he’s going to be out of office very soon.”
A day later, Trump called Macron “a friend of mine,” but reiterated that the French leader is “not going to be there very much longer.”
The executive board’s members include US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, former British prime minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management chief executive officer Marc Rowan and World Bank President Ajay Banga.
The White House also announced the members of another board, the Gaza Executive Board, which would be in charge of implementing the second phase of a ceasefire agreement with Israel.
That includes deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and rebuilding the war-devastated territory.
The board would supervise a newly appointed committee of Palestinians to run Gaza’s day-to-day affairs.
Meanwhile, Trump’s arrival in Davos was delayed when a “minor electrical issue” forced his presidential jet to turn back shortly after takeoff in the US.
Trump, who was originally scheduled to give a speech to the annual gathering of the world’s economic and political elite, was to be about three hours late to Davos, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said after the president was forced to switch planes.
Trump was set for a showdown with European leaders over his comments about taking control of Greenland.
Bessent said that European leaders should “take a deep breath” before engaging on the topic.
“Do not have this reflexive anger that we’ve seen and this bitterness,” Bessent told reporters in Davos hours before Trump’s arrival. “Why don’t they sit down, wait for President Trump to get here and listen to his argument.”
Trump said he would have a number of meetings on Greenland at Davos.
Additional reporting by AFP
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