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Sources told Reuters on Saturday that the leaders of France, Germany, Australia and Canada were also asked to join the Board of Peace.
By United with Israel and JNS Staff
U.S. President Donald Trump has asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join the newly formed Gaza Board of Peace as a founding member, Ynet reported Saturday night.
The request came as Netanyahu sharply criticized the makeup of the board’s subordinate Gaza Executive Committee, which includes Qatar, Turkey, and Egypt.
Israel has long viewed Turkey’s relationship with Jerusalem as increasingly hostile, with some Israeli officials openly describing Ankara as an adversarial actor.
Qatar, meanwhile, has hosted Hamas leadership for years and has been accused of financing extremist groups while promoting anti-Israel and antisemitic causes worldwide.
Israeli officials argue that granting such countries influence over Gaza’s future raises serious concerns about the board’s credibility and intentions.
Although Egypt and Israel have a long-standing peace treaty, their relationship has become strained amid the Gaza war, with disagreements over border control at Rafah and Israel’s military actions near the Egypt–Gaza border contributing to mistrust between Cairo and Jerusalem.
Egyptian leaders have openly criticized Israeli operations in Gaza and warned that such actions could threaten the peace accord, raising Israeli concerns about Cairo’s stance on post-war governance and security cooperation in the region.
Netanyahu is among some 50 world leaders invited to join the Board of Peace, which Trump will chair. The U.S. president has said the board will “solidify peace in the Middle East” through his “bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
The invitation letter, which was first shared to X by Argentine President Javier Milei on Saturday, says the proposed Board of Peace would be at the center of Trump’s Gaza peace plan and would be established as a “new international organization” to temporarily govern the enclave.
“Our effort will bring together a distinguished group of nations ready to shoulder the noble responsibility of building lasting peace,” Trump said in the missive to Milei, calling membership of the international body an “honor reserved for those prepared to lead by example” and “brilliantly invest in a secure and prosperous future for generations to come.”
Trump wrote that Buenos Aires would be invited to join as a founding member state by signing a letter of acceptance and becoming a party to the charter, which the letter said was open for signature and ratification.
The U.S. president closed by saying he looked forward to working with members of the Board of Peace “toward the goal of establishing lasting world peace, prosperity, and greatness for all.”
Sources told Reuters on Saturday that the leaders of France, Germany, Australia and Canada were also asked to join the Board of Peace.
The Egyptian and Turkish presidents confirmed that they were invited. An European Union official told Reuters that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was asked to represent Brussels.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office on Saturday evening slammed the inclusion of Turkey, Qatar and Egypt in the Gaza Executive Board, which will advise the Board of Peace.
The announcement of the Executive Board’s establishment “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy,” according to the statement.
It added that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar was instructed to discuss the matter with his American counterpart, Marco Rubio, who was named on Friday as a founding member of the Executive Board.
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