Netanyahu agrees to join Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace after initial pushback
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he would join President Donald Trump’s new Board of Peace, after previously criticizing the makeup of its executive committee.
Netanyahu confirmed that he would join the newly established Board of Peace, which the Trump administration says will supervise the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.
The Israeli prime minister’s announcement comes after he initially pushed back on Trump’s proposal, following the inclusion of Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi as appointed members to a separate ‘Gaza Executive Board.’
Netanyahu’s office said that move was not coordinated with Israel and ‘runs contrary to its policy.’
The announcement coincides with Trump’s trip to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to provide more details about the board. Fox News confirmed that the president is planning to arrange a signing ceremony for the Gaza Board of Peace during his visit.
On Tuesday, when asked if the board should replace the United Nations, Trump said, ‘It might.’
Trump said that the world body ‘hasn’t been very helpful’ and ‘has never lived up to its potential,’ but added that the U.N. should continue to exist ‘because the potential is so great.’
On Jan. 16, the White House said the Board of Peace will play an ‘essential role’ in carrying out all 20 points of the president’s Gaza plan, including providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.
Dozens of countries have been invited, with notices going out over the weekend, according to officials, including Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary, and Vietnam, among others.
Others, including the executive arm of the European Union, confirmed that they have received invitations, but have not responded.
On Monday, Trump confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin received an invitation to join the new board.
The Kremlin said Putin had received the invitation and was ‘studying the details,’ adding it will seek clarity on ‘all the nuances’ in communications with the U.S. government.
France also received an invitation, but does not plan to join ‘at this stage,’ according to a French official close to President Emmanuel Macron.
The White House has said Trump will chair the Board of Peace and be joined by senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, and billionaire Marc Rowan.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Ashley Carnahan, Gillian Turner and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
