US allies fear that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's rejection of the American plan for Gaza is undermining confidence in the Board of Peace and the Trump administration's ability to shape developments in the Middle East, Politico reported.
According to the report, diplomats and people familiar with US strategy in the region said there was a growing sense that Washington either lacked the necessary leverage, or was unwilling to use it, to advance the Gaza plan.
An Arab diplomat familiar with US Middle East policy said the plan's rejection could have "significant implications for long-term regional stability and Israel's security." The diplomat said Trump was the only person capable of influencing the situation by putting pressure on Netanyahu to reconsider his position. The diplomat also warned that Arab and regional leaders could find themselves having to recalibrate their own interests in light of developments.
Netanyahu rejected the White House-backed Gaza peace plan on Sunday, saying Israel would require Hamas to disarm "genuinely" before agreeing to withdraw its forces from the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu publicly said Israel did not accept the 15-point document and insisted that Hamas surrender all of its weapons before an Israeli withdrawal. This position could also call into question the Board of Peace's ability to function.
A Western diplomat familiar with Middle East policy said Netanyahu's decision showed that the US strategy toward Israel was misguided. According to the diplomat, efforts to accommodate Israel were leading to increasingly maximalist demands, while Israel remained one of the obstacles to a two-state solution.
"The roadmap is between the Board of Peace and Hamas"
Robert Jordan, who served as US ambassador to Saudi Arabia under President George W. Bush, said the Board of Peace was now in a difficult position. From the outset, he said, it had not appeared likely to provide a broad, viable alternative to the UN, and Israel's political situation was adding to the difficulties.
The Board of Peace declined to comment, but an official with the organization said work was continuing at full speed and with Israeli cooperation. The official pointed to a logistics support area under construction that is intended to serve hundreds of troops expected to deploy in Gaza as part of the International Stabilization Force planned by the board.
"The roadmap is between the Board of Peace and Hamas," the official said, while separate discussions with Israel continued. The official stressed that Israel was not being asked to rely on trust or take irreversible steps before developments on the ground had been verified. That approach is consistent with the board's public description of the process as one based on monitored, verified implementation.
Meanwhile, Israeli public broadcaster Kan's Reshet Bet radio reported that the Board of Peace had decided to provide Hamas with $400 million to "cover debts" to suppliers and other expenses. According to the report, the board insisted that the money would not be used to cover debts stemming from corruption within the terrorist organization.
Trump avoids public confrontation with Netanyahu
Trump has so far avoided a public confrontation with Netanyahu over the roadmap. On Monday, he told reporters that he had a "good relationship" with the Israeli prime minister despite Netanyahu's rejection of the US proposal. The White House declined to comment further on the rejection.
A Trump administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the White House did not believe Netanyahu's actions had derailed the peace process. According to the official, Netanyahu's position was primarily "election maneuvering" aimed at the Israeli public, and the Board of Peace had in fact recently been receiving strong cooperation on the ground.
"The US president is losing credibility"
In Europe, however, some governments still hope the Board of Peace can rescue the diplomatic process in Gaza. German member of the European Parliament Hildegard Bentele praised the work of Nickolay Mladenov and his achievements in putting the plan together. She said she believed the US-led effort could move forward if the proposal were resubmitted after Israel's elections and focused on the issue of complete disarmament.
Others with experience in the region believe Netanyahu is succeeding in pushing the Board of Peace in a direction more favorable to Israel. Nimrod Novik, a former senior policy adviser to then-Prime Minister Shimon Peres, said Netanyahu's actions were "testing the patience" of the US team and the Board of Peace.
Zaha Hassan, who served as an adviser to the Palestinian negotiating team during its bid for UN membership, said the initiative was effectively "Trump's personal enterprise." If the effort could not persuade Israel to withdraw from Gaza and allow the Board of Peace to operate, she said, other regional players might begin wondering how the US could restrain Israel in their own vicinity.
A European diplomat said disappointment with Trump's influence in the Middle East had already been evident in his failure to bring the war with Iran to a swift conclusion. The diplomat said a solution was not as close as had been expected, or as Trump had previously portrayed it, and argued that the US president was "losing credibility," while the entire situation remained uncertain.
