President Trump and his administration on Thursday unveiled a new \u201cBoard of Peace\u201d initiative aimed at rebuilding and stabilizing Gaza, rolling out the framework during the World Economic Forum in Davos with leaders from more than 20 countries \u2014 a list that notably did not include many major European Union allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The White House said countries agreeing to join the board include Argentina, Belarus, Morocco, Vietnam, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kosovo, Hungary, Egypt, Turkey, Qatar, Jordan, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, among others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, the administration\u2019s initial member list immediately drew pushback from at least one European country after Belgium was mistakenly included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBelgium has NOT signed the Charter of the Board of Peace. This announcement is incorrect,\u201d Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot wrote in a post on X. \u201cWe wish for a common and coordinated European response. As many European countries, we have reservations to the proposal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The confusion highlighted a broader challenge for the new initiative: while Trump\u2019s team appears to be moving quickly to secure international backing, many European governments face legal or political hurdles that prevent them from signing on immediately \u2014 even if they see value in the proposal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in an interview with CBS News that Finland and other European nations may be unable to join at first because they need parliamentary approval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cOne is that this is an international organization which, basically, then needs parliamentary approval. So, you know, we are liberal democracies. We can\u2019t come here and say, \u2018okay, here\u2019s the statute,\u2019\u201d Stubb said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Stubb also said European leaders want the effort more closely tied to the United Nations, reflecting a common preference among Western governments for U.N.-anchored peace and reconstruction missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\u201cThe other one is that we want to link it even more closer to the U.N. So I think, for instance, that the Gaza peace board is based on a U.N. mandate, which is really good. So now we just need to make sure that some of the other mandates can be put into the U.N. as well. But we\u2019ll see what the other Europeans do and what we do together. I think it\u2019s a good initiative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
Trump, along with senior officials in his administration, presented the Board of Peace as a concrete attempt to move beyond endless diplomatic statements and toward a rebuilding plan for Gaza \u2014 a territory devastated by war, with large-scale destruction to housing, utilities, and basic infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In remarks and presentations shared during the ceremony, the administration laid out a vision that included major construction and investment proposals, including an airport, data centers, workforce housing and new tourist attractions along Gaza\u2019s coastline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jared Kushner, Trump\u2019s son-in-law and a key figure in past Middle East diplomacy, spoke during the Board of Peace ceremony and showed slides illustrating phased redevelopment concepts and what the administration described as a \u201cmaster plan\u201d approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n