Netanyahu joins Trump's Board of Peace

The Israeli Prime Minister's office made the announcement this morning - the Board of Peace, unlike the different Gaza Executive Board, will focus on worldwide issues

Benjamin Netanyahu has officially joined Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, with the Israeli Prime Minister’s office announcing his acceptance of the US President’s invitation on Wednesday morning.

While the Board of Peace was originally put forward by Trump as a measure specifically targeted at ensuring a peaceful outcome in Gaza, it has subsequently been broadened in scope, with the US President describing it as aiming to resolve global conflicts. A smaller Gaza Executive Board will specifically focus on the situation in the Strip. The full text of the charter of the Board of Peace, published earlier this week, contained no mention of Gaza.

Trump has invited a wide range of world leaders to join the Board, leading to speculation that the American President is attempting to create an alternative to the United Nations, an organisation he has made his disdain clear for. When the US President was specifically asked if the Board of Peace was intended to replace the UN, he answered that “it might”. Countries besides Israel which have officially signed up to the Board include Egypt, Belarus, Azerbaijan, the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Bahrain, Morocco, Hungary and Kosovo. Other countries, such as the UK, Canada, France and Italy, have confirmed receiving invitations but are thought to be unlikely to join the new organisation.

Separately, the White House also announced members of the Gaza Executive Board, which include Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, his Middle East representative Steve Witkoff and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The Israeli government has expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the inclusion of representatives of both the Qatari and Turkish governments, which have expressed continued antagonism towards Israel.