Donald Trump announced the establishment of one under his leadership, with and then other conflicts in the world, but which includes figures such as former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, which provoke reactions, not only for the lack of participation of Palestinians, but also for the “colonial” logic that it “supports”.
The “initiative” of the American president begins with Gaza, where a technocratic administration will operate under international supervision, for a transitional period. Trump said he would “start with Gaza and then expand to other countries that are at war with each other.”
Analysts stress that the supervision of foreign figures in the governance of a region is reminiscent of colonialist logic, while the participation of Tony Blair, due to his involvement in the war in Iraq, but also the British history in the Middle East, caused additional criticism.
Who is on the board?
The core members of the Peace Council are:
- US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff
- Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law
- Billionaires and investors like Mark Rowan
- World Bank President Ajay Banga
- Trump adviser Robert Gabriel
- High Representative for Gaza: Nikolai Mladenov
The White House has named Lt. Gen. Jasper Jeffers commander of the International Stabilization Force in Gaza, with approval from the UN Security Council.
International invitations and reactions
Sources say that the leaders of France, Germany, Australia, Canada, as well as the leaderships of Egypt and Turkey were invited to participate, while Greece and Cyprus are among the countries that also received. In addition, the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will represent the Union.
The Gaza Peace Council is included in Phase II of Trump’s plan. 25 states are expected to participate in it, including those that took part in the ceremony in Sharm El Sheikh, such as Greece and Cyprus.
The 11-member support body includes Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, UN peace coordinator Sigrinde Kag, UAE minister Reem Al-Hashimi, and Israeli-Cypriot billionaire Yakir Gabbay.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office commented that this lineup was not coordinated in cooperation with Tel Aviv and goes against its policies, possibly implying Fidan’s involvement.
Not even the Palestinian organization Islamic Jihad, however, warmly welcomed the announcement of the formation of the “Peace Council”, considering that its members were chosen to serve the interests of Israel.
