Why are some countries – including UK – reluctant to join Trump’s Gaza board of peace?
Britain and many other major US allies rejected Donald Trump’s high-profile signing ceremony to launch the Gaza peace board.
Canada, Italy and a number of other Western powers canceled the event at the World Economic Forum in Davos over concerns about the proposal itself and its board membership. France, Norway and Sweden stated that they would not participate.
After arriving at the conference yesterday and giving delegates a rambling speech about plans to take over Greenland, President Trump turned his attention to the peace council on Thursday and unveiled details of Gaza redevelopment plans, including proposals for cities dubbed “New Gaza” and “New Prosperity.”
However, while the United States said that 35 countries, including Israel, agreed to participate in the project, dozens more did not officially accept the invitations.
What are the concerns?
On Thursday, Secretary of State Yvette Cooper slammed President Trump’s decision to include a Vladimir Putin on the board at a time when Russia has become a global pariah in its war in Ukraine.
Ms. Cooper harshly criticized the idea of the Russian President “being part of something that talks about peace when we haven’t yet seen any sign from Putin that there will be a commitment to peace in Ukraine.”
In addition to England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden and New Zealand also left the Peace Council.
On the other hand, more than 20 countries agreed to participate, including Argentina, Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and others.
However, the UK appears to have many concerns about the new international organisation.
Mr. Trump has said permanent membership would cost each country $1 billion, a demand that has alienated many allies.
There are also fears that he intends to use the new board as a replacement for the United Nations, an organization set up to maintain worldwide peace following the Second World War.
The US president has insisted his board will work with the UN, but his assurances are falling short of the mark after his threats this week against Greenland, which is part of NATO ally the Kingdom of Denmark.
At the board’s televised inauguration, Mr. Trump did nothing to ease concerns. He said the group, originally designed to solidify a ceasefire in Gaza, would take on a broader role, which would demoralize many countries.
Speaking in Switzerland, he said: “Once this board is fully formed, we can do almost anything we want to do.” These words will ring alarm bells in Europe and further afield.
What was Trump’s reaction to this snub?
It’s fair to say that the US president refuses to take “no” for an answer.
Asked about France’s decision not to attend the signing ceremony earlier this week, Mr. Trump told reporters he would respond by imposing a “200 percent tariff” on French wines and champagne. He added this about French President Emmanuel Macron: “he will attend”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would sit on the board after his office previously criticized the makeup of the committee tasked with overseeing Gaza.
But Mr. Trump will also be keenly aware that very few of the countries that have pledged to join, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Turkey and Belarus, are democracies, potentially limiting his group’s legitimacy and scope.
