White House says Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ will embody Rubio, Kushner and former UK prime minister Tony Blair
The White House has released a list of officials that will be included on the so-called “Board of Peace” tasked with overseeing the rebuilding of Gaza and the transition to a new administration.
The board, selected by Donald Trump who is also chairman of the board, includes Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, among others.
“The United States remains fully committed to supporting this transitional framework, working in close partnership with Israel, key Arab nations, and the international community to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan,” Friday’s statement read.
“The President calls on all parties to cooperate fully with the NCAG, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilization Force to ensure the swift and successful implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.”
Sir Tony’s inclusion on the list of board members may be controversial, as he remains a divisive figure in the Middle East due to his role in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
He later became a representative of the Quartet, a group seeking peace between Israel and the Palestinians made up of the U.S., E.U., Russia and the United Nations, but stepped down after being deemed too close to Israel.
“I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” Trump told reporters last October.
The former Labor leader, Rubio and Kushner and are joined on the board by World Bank president Ajay Banga, Marc Rowan, Robert Gabriel, and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff.
Those selected are described as “leaders with experience across diplomacy, development, infrastructure, and economic strategy.”
“Each Executive Board member will oversee a defined portfolio critical to Gaza’s stabilization and long-term success, including, but not limited to, governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment attraction, large-scale funding, and capital mobilization,” the White House said.
Additional Executive Board and Gaza Executive Board members will be announced over the coming weeks.
Friday’s announcement follows the creation of the 15-member Palestinian technocratic committee tasked with running day-to-day affairs in post-war Gaza, overseen by Ali Sha’ath, a former deputy minister in the Palestinian Authority.
“Dr Sha’ath brings deep experience in public administration, economic development, and international engagement, and is widely respected for his pragmatic, technocratic leadership and understanding of Gaza’s institutional realities,” the White House statement added.
Source: independent.co.uk
