MarsLink News
Fast, Reliable, and Uncensored News Coverage
Israel Agrees to Join Trump’s Board of Peace as Some European Nations Decline.
MLN -21 JAN 2026: Israel agreed Wednesday to join U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, while several Western European countries said they would not participate, citing concerns about the body’s scope and its potential impact on existing international institutions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the decision after his office had earlier criticized the composition of the board’s Gaza-focused committee, saying it had not been coordinated with Israel and ran, contrary to its policy, according to a statement from his office.
Norway and Sweden said they would not join the board at this stage, following France, which has warned the initiative could undermine the role of the United Nations in mediating global conflicts
The board, chaired by Trump, was initially proposed as a small group of leaders to oversee the Gaza ceasefire. The administration has since expanded the plan, extending invitations to dozens of countries and signaling that the board could play a broader role in resolving international disputes. Trump is expected to outline further details during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where global leaders are gathering this week.
Netanyahu’s decision could create friction within his governing coalition. Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right ally, has criticized the board and called for Israel to take unilateral control over Gaza’s future.
Other countries confirming participation Wednesday included Azerbaijan, with President Ilham Aliyev announcing his country would join, and Kosovo, whose President Vjosa Osmani also agreed to take part.
Norway’s State Secretary Kristoffer Thoner said in a statement that Oslo would not join because the proposal, raises a number of questions that require further dialogue with the United States, adding that Norway would not attend the signing ceremony in Davos. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said Sweden would not sign on under the current framework, according to Swedish news agency TT.
Several countries have not publicly stated whether they will join, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Russia and China. Nations that previously agreed to participate include the United Arab Emirates, Armenia, Morocco, Vietnam, Belarus, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Argentina. Bahrain and Egypt said Wednesday they would also join.
Invitation letters have also been sent to Ukraine, Turkey, India, Paraguay, Thailand, Croatia, Slovenia and the European Union’s executive arm, according to officials familiar with the outreach.
Trump declined to rule out whether the board could replace the United Nations. Asked Tuesday if that was the intention, he replied, “It might.”
Under the Gaza ceasefire framework, the board’s executive committee would oversee the second phase of the agreement, including deploying an international security force, disarming Hamas and coordinating reconstruction. The committee would also supervise a group of Palestinian technocrats tasked with managing Gaza’s day-to-day affairs.
According to the White House, members of the Gaza executive committee include Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi, Egyptian intelligence chief Hassan Rashad, Emirati minister Reem Al-Hashimy, Israeli businessman Yakir Gabay, and former Dutch deputy prime minister Sigrid Kaag.
Former U.N. Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov is expected to oversee day-to-day operations for the Gaza committee, the White House said.
A separate founding executive committee includes U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff, Kushner, Blair, Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel.
