President Donald Trump opened the inaugural summit of his Board of Peace on Thursday in Washington, warning that the next ten days would determine whether his administration moves forward or concludes a deal with Iran.
The Board of Peace's founding conference took place at Trump's Peace Institute in Washington. The president, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio all attended. Roughly 20 heads of state and foreign ministers traveled from around the world to participate. Among them were the presidents of Argentina, Indonesia, Paraguay, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Uzbekistan, as well as the prime ministers of Cambodia, Armenia, Hungary, Albania, and Pakistan.
Israel was represented by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar. Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE were each represented by their foreign ministers. One monarch attended, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa of Bahrain, along with a senior EU representative and a delegate from Jordan.
Shortly before the conference opened, the Board's official logo was unveiled – featuring the emblem of the Palestinian Authority. About two weeks ago, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had responded to earlier reports about the logo, stating, "The logo of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) that was presented to Israel was completely different from the one published this evening. Israel will not accept the use of the Palestinian Authority symbol, and the Palestinian Authority will not be a partner in the administration of Gaza."
The Board of Peace's budget framework is the first item Trump intends to take up on Friday. That is according to a draft resolution obtained by Israel Hayom. Trump's draft stresses that without a clear and full funding source, the Board will not be able to begin operating.
Israel Hayom has reported that Trump envisions the Board of Peace as a body that will operate globally, not just in Gaza. He also intends to remain at its helm even after he leaves the presidency in three years.
