Trump Gaza peace board invitation ‘respectfully’ considered by Anthony Albanese
Updated ,first published
US President Donald Trump’s vision of an international “peace council” chaired by him appears to extend far beyond Gaza to other conflict zones, complicating the calculations of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as he considers whether to accept an invitation to join the initiative.
Trump began inviting world leaders to join his peace council on Sunday, after announcing in October that it would be created to oversee the post-war transition in Gaza. But the draft charter does not mention Gaza, raising fears it could be used to create a rival to the United Nations.
Albanese said on Monday that he would consider whether to accept an invitation to join the union, as tensions rise between Israel and the United States over the organization’s structure.
He told ABC radio on Monday morning that he had received correspondence from the White House on Sunday night: “We will consider all of these approaches respectfully and through our appropriate processes.”
Albanese added that he was focusing on the early return of parliament to commemorate the victims of the Bondi terror attack and pass legislation on gun control and combating antisemitism.
Trump invited the leaders of Egypt, Türkiye and Jordan to join the peace board established as part of the 20-point Gaza peace plan he announced last October.
Other world leaders, including Argentinian President Javier Milei and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, were also asked to join the board. It’s unclear exactly how many world leaders have been invited, but dozens appear to be on the list.
Trump described the group as “the largest and most prestigious body ever assembled anywhere, at any time” and said “I think it will start with Gaza and resolve conflicts as they arise.”
A leaked copy of the contract published by Times of Israeldefines it as “an international organization aimed at promoting stability, restoring credible and lawful governance, and securing lasting peace in conflict-affected or threatened areas.”
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said on Monday that Australia welcomed Trump’s invitation and would talk to the United States about this issue.
“This invitation just came,” Marles told ABC. “We certainly welcome the invitation, just as we welcome all of the Trump administration’s efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
“We need to see a real end to the conflict there in order for humanitarian aid to flow and for this part of the world to rebuild. In terms of the specific request, we will continue to discuss this with America to get a proper understanding of what that means and what it entails, but we welcome the invitation.”
The Trump administration has asked countries to collectively contribute at least $1 billion to become permanent members of the peace council; Non-permanent membership will remain free.
The Israeli government complained that some of the potential appointments were “not coordinated with Israel and contrary to its policy.”
Dan Shapiro, who served as the US ambassador to Israel under Barack Obama, called Trump’s idea crazy on social media.
“The Peace Board draft does not even mention Gaza,” he said in a post on X. “This appears to be a ploy to establish an alternative international body to the UN – the permanent President (King) will be ‘guess who’, will have full veto power, appoint his successor and absorb dollars from other countries.”
The mandate of the board, which was approved by the United Nations Security Council in November, is limited to Gaza and is valid until the end of 2027.
Separately, Trump also announced that he will chair a “founding board” that will focus on investment and foreign relations. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will sit on the seven-member board, along with Trump’s son-in-law and Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. Jared Kushnerand former British prime minister Tony Blair.
A separate National Committee for Gaza Administration will oversee daily affairs in Gaza.
Trump’s evolving peace plan was initially met with skepticism, including some who cautiously welcomed his vision.
Palestinian American commentator Ahmed Fouad Alkhatib, a senior member of the Atlantic Council, said in X that the Peace Board emerged from a bright idea that “could be the beginning of a new republic.”
But instead, he said, it was “a vanity project that will ensure the survival of Hamas and create a playground for crony capitalism, despite the good intentions of Palestinian technocrats.”
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