Netanyahu joins Trump’s Board of Peace after initial criticism of proposal
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that he will join President Donald Trump’s new Peace Board, after previously criticizing the executive committee’s makeup.
Netanyahu confirmed that he will join the newly formed Peace Board, which the Trump administration said will oversee the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.
The Israeli prime minister’s announcement came after he initially turned down Trump’s offer after Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi were appointed as members of a separate “Gaza Executive Board.”
Netanyahu’s office said the move was not coordinated with Israel and was “contrary to its policies.”
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 07: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin speaks during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The announcement coincides with Trump’s visit to the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland, where he is expected to provide more details about the board. Fox News confirmed that the president plans to hold a signing ceremony for the Gaza Peace Board during his visit.
Asked Tuesday if the body could replace the United Nations, Trump said: “It could happen.”
Trump said the world body was “not very helpful” and “never lived up to its potential” but added that the UN should continue to exist “because the potential is so great.”
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US President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House for a meeting on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
On January 16, the White House said the Peace Board would play a “fundamental role” in achieving all 20 points of the president’s Gaza plan, including providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources, and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.
Dozens of countries, including Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary and Vietnam, were invited with weekend announcements, according to officials.
Others, including the European Union’s executive arm, confirmed they had received invitations but had not responded.
On Monday, Trump confirmed that he had received an invitation from Russian President Vladimir Putin to join the new board.
The Kremlin said Putin had received the invitation and was “studying the details”, adding that it would seek clarity on “all nuances” in communication with the US government.
France also received an invitation but does not plan to attend “at this stage,” according to a French official close to President Emmanuel Macron.
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President Donald Trump attends a White House press conference on January 20, 2026, marking the one-year anniversary of his return to the Oval Office. (Getty Images)
The White House said that Trump will chair the Peace Board and that this board will include high-level political, diplomatic and business names such as Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion, Ashley Carnahan, Gillian Turner and Associated Press contributed to this report.
