Jerusalem, 18 January (H.S.): Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a sharp rebuke on Saturday, January 17, against the composition of the U.S.-led Gaza Executive Board under President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, citing a lack of coordination and policy misalignment.

Trump Unveils Controversial Governance Lineup

On Friday, January 16, the White House disclosed the inaugural members of the Board of Peace—chaired by Trump himself—to supervise Gaza’s transitional governance, reconstruction, security, and funding mobilization post-conflict. Key figures include U.S. Secretary of State and National Security Adviser Marco Rubio, Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and a Qatari official on the subordinate Gaza Executive Board.

This ensemble advances phase two of Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan, first outlined in September 2025, featuring a Palestinian technocratic committee—headed by Ali Shaath—that convened its inaugural Cairo session attended by Kushner.

Israel Demands Diplomatic Reckoning

Netanyahu’s statement declared the Gaza Executive Board announcement uncoordinated with Jerusalem and antithetical to Israeli interests, particularly objecting to Turkish and Qatari involvement amid Ankara’s Hamas ties and strained bilateral ties. He directed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to urgently engage U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, signaling rare friction in the Trump-Netanyahu alliance despite mutual endorsements.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad decried the board as serving “Israeli criteria” and occupation aims, while invitees diverged: Canada’s aide to Prime Minister Mark Carney signaled acceptance, Turkey’s spokesman touted Erdogan as a “founding member,” Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty mulled Sisi’s participation, and Argentina’s Javier Milei embraced it on X.

Blair’s Iraq Shadow Fuels Backlash

Tony Blair’s inclusion draws ire for his 2003 Iraq invasion legacy, though he welcomed the role via AFP, citing his post-2007 Middle East Quartet tenure on Israeli-Palestinian affairs. The board’s mandate encompasses Hamas disarmament, international stabilization forces, and Palestinian Authority reforms for secure governance takeover, per White House briefs, yet Netanyahu’s pushback underscores Jerusalem’s wariness of external oversight sans veto power.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar