On Thursday in Washington, Elvis Presley’s Burning Love gave way to applause as U.S. President Donald Trump took the stage at the inaugural meeting of his freshly minted Board of Peace — initially conceived as a vehicle to coordinate Gaza’s reconstruction and security.
“These are the greatest world leaders,” Trump told officials from some 50 countries — 27 now formal members, the rest attending as observers. “Almost everybody has accepted and the ones that haven’t will be. Some are playing a little cute.”
The ones playing cute, or not invited at all, include most of Washington’s traditional allies. Only two European Union members, Bulgaria and Hungary, signed on last month at the World Economic Forum’s annual summit in Davos, Switzerland — joining an eclectic roster that includes Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Egypt.
The EU declined membership but dispatched Commissioner for the Mediterranean Dubravka Šuica to attend, a decision that drew criticism from several member states, including France and Spain.
While the UN Security Council has recognized it as an “international transitional body” for Gaza, the BoP’s broader aim is unclear. Its charter makes no mention of Gaza. Instead, it reads like a platform designed for conflict management at large, prompting worries that it may one day try to supplant a cash-strapped United Nations. The executive board — chaired by Trump, not the U.S. presidency, as veto-wielding chairman for life — doesn’t include a single Palestinian. The charter sets no firm deadlines or measurable benchmarks.
A few announcements were made on Thursday. Washington pledged $10 billion. Nine countries collectively offered $7 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction. Five nations committed troops to a planned 20,000-strong stabilization force, alongside a 5,000-strong police contingent meant to support the committee of Palestinian technocrats charged with building local governance.
Mostly though, the vibe of the inauguration was less that of a sober multilateral launch than a gilded initiation ceremony to a pay-to-pay club where permanence carries a $1 billion price tag.
In a trademark freewheeling address, Trump lauded the success and stature of attendees, celebrated stock market gains and touted his peace-making credentials. Proceedings concluded with the Village People’s YMCA.
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