Jerusalem/Washington: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday confirmed that Israel will join US President Donald Trump’s proposed ‘Board of Peace’, signalling a shift after his office had earlier raised concerns over the composition of the board’s executive committee, which includes regional rival Turkey.
In a brief statement, Netanyahu’s office said the Israeli leader has accepted Trump’s invitation to participate in the initiative. The confirmation came hours after criticism from Israel over Turkey’s inclusion in the executive structure of the board.
The Board of Peace was initially conceived by the Trump administration as a limited group of global leaders tasked with overseeing the Gaza ceasefire framework. However, the initiative has since expanded significantly, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of countries and projecting the body as a platform to address major international conflicts, drawing comparisons with a parallel global security forum.
Further details of the initiative are expected on Thursday, when Trump is scheduled to make a formal announcement on the Board of Peace during the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
While the official charter of the board has not yet been released, a draft accessed by international media suggests that decision-making authority would be heavily centralised. The document reportedly proposes a $1 billion contribution for countries seeking permanent membership.
So far, Israel has joined a group of nations including the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Hungary, Argentina and Belarus in agreeing to participate. Invitations have also been sent to leaders of Paraguay, Canada, Egypt and Turkey, while Russia, India, Slovenia, Thailand and the European Union’s executive body have confirmed receiving invitations.
Russia has said it is examining the proposal and seeking clarity on its scope and structure. The Kremlin has indicated that further discussions with Washington are expected before any decision is taken.
The executive committee of the Board of Peace includes senior political and financial figures, among them US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga and US Deputy National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel.
In parallel, the White House has also announced the formation of a Gaza Executive Board, which will oversee the implementation of the second phase of the ceasefire agreement. This phase includes deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and coordinating reconstruction efforts in Gaza.
Former UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov has been named to oversee day-to-day operations related to Gaza, alongside representatives from the US, Israel, Turkey, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE and the Netherlands. The board will also supervise a newly formed committee of Palestinian technocrats tasked with managing Gaza’s civilian administration.
