US President Donald Trump gestures during the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos. AFP
The new board was initially envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire, but has morphed into something far more ambitious — and skepticism about its membership and mandate has led some traditional U.S. allies to so far take a pass.
Trump expressed confidence in his idea ahead of what the White House said would be a “charter announcement" on the sidelines of the forum in the Swiss alps.
“We have a lot of great people that want to join,” Trump said with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi by his side during a Wednesday meeting. Egypt is among the countries that has announced it will join the board. Trump added, “It’s going to be the most prestigious board ever formed.”
Some 35 countries had agreed to sign on to the project, a senior administration official told reporters, and 60 nations had been invited to join. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House.
Trump, who has spoken about the board replacing some of the functions of the United Nations and perhaps even making it eventually obsolete, said some countries’ leaders have indicated that they plan to join but still require approval from their parliaments, and said his administration is also receiving queries about membership from countries that hadn’t been invited to join.
Who will join is still unclear
Big questions remain, though. Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country is still consulting with Moscow’s “strategic partners” before deciding to commit. The Russian president on Thursday is due to host Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for talks in Moscow.
Others have raised questions about why Putin and other leaders had even been invited to join. Trump said he wanted “everybody” who was powerful. “I have some controversial people. But these are people that get the job done. These are people that have tremendous influence.”
Some European nations, meanwhile, have declined their invitations. Norway and Sweden have indicated that they won’t participate, after France also said no. French officials stressed that while they support the Gaza peace plan, they were concerned the board could seek to replace the U.N. as the main venue for resolving conflicts.
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said “the time has not yet come to accept the invitation,” according to the STA news agency, with the main concern being the board’s mandate may be too broad and could undermine international order based on the U.N. Charter.
The United Kingdom, the European Union’s executive arm, Canada, Russia, Ukraine and China also have not yet indicated their response to Trump’s invitations. Trump calling off the steep tariffs he threatened over Greenland could ease some allies' reluctance — but the issue is still far from settled.
Board grew out of ceasefire proposal
The idea for the Board of Peace was first laid out in Trump's 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan and even was endorsed by the U.N. Security Council.
Invitation letters to world leaders ahead of Davos indicated that the panel may not confine their work to Gaza.
When asked by a reporter earlier this week if the board should replace the U.N., Trump replied that “it might.” He asserted that the world body “hasn’t been very helpful” and “has never lived up to its potential” but also said the U.N. should continue ”because the potential is so great.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced he’s agreed to join, after his office has earlier criticized the makeup of the board’s committee tasked with overseeing Gaza.
Months into the ceasefire, Gaza’s more than 2 million Palestinians continue to suffer the humanitarian crisis unleashed by over two years of war. And Israel's attacks on Gaza, while not at the same level as before the October ceasefire, continues.
The second phase of the Gaza deal calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas, the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF), and the establishment of what was initially called the 'Peace Board for Gaza'—chaired by Donald Trump—alongside a technocratic Palestinian government in Gaza to be responsible for day-to-day governance."
Trump on Wednesday said his administration should know in the next few weeks whether Hamas would come to terms on laying down their weapons.
“If they don’t do it," Trump said, "they’ll be blown away. Very quickly."
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