Qatar and Turkey join ‘Board of Peace’ despite Israeli protest
Qatar and Turkey have formally joined President Donald TrumpS newly created “Board of Peace,” alongside countries including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, indonesia, Pakistan, and the UAE. The participating states issued a joint statement backing Trump’s leadership of the international body and pledging to help secure a ceasefire, rebuild Gaza, and advance Palestinian self-determination. Israel publicly opposed Qatar and Turkey’s involvement; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted the invitation but warned against foreign troops in Gaza, while opposition figures accused him of being outmaneuvered. The Board,announced by Trump in September 2025 and approved by the U.N. as a transitional governance in November, vests unusual powers in Trump-naming him “inaugural chairman” in perpetuity, allowing him to appoint his successor, and limiting transfers of power to resignation or incapacity. Membership offers have reportedly gone to roughly 50 countries (about 25 have agreed), and invitations have even been extended to rivals such as Russia and China. Critics say the charter’s concentration of authority and exemptions for wealthy donors underscore an autocratic bent and raise concerns about the Board’s role relative to the U.N. and regional sovereignty.
Qatar and Turkey join ‘Board of Peace’ despite Israeli protest, highlighting Trump’s autocratic approach
Qatar and Turkey have signed on to join President Donald Trump’s newly established “Board of Peace,” quashing protestations from one of the White House’s most important allies.
The two nations — joined by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia, Pakistan, and the United Arab Emirates — issued a statement on Wednesday confirming their participation in the international organization, which by mandate will vest executive authority in Trump personally.
WHO WAS INVITED TO BE ON TRUMP’S ‘BOARD OF PEACE’?
“The Ministers reiterate their countries’ support for the peace efforts led by President Trump, and reaffirm their countries’ commitment to supporting the implementation of the mission of the Board of Peace as a transnational administration,” the joint statement read.
They added that they remain committed to “consolidating a permanent ceasefire, supporting the reconstruction of Gaza, and advancing a just and lasting peace grounded in the Palestinian right to self-determination and statehood in accordance with international law, thereby paving the way for security and stability for all countries and peoples of the region.”
Beyond the calls for Palestinian statehood, the mere acceptance of Qatar and Turkey into the body is likely to amplify diplomatic outrage from Israel, which forcefully opposed the idea of allowing the two Muslim nations to have any role in Gaza reconstruction efforts.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who also accepted the invitation on Wednesday, previously told the Knesset that his government was in a “dispute with our friends in the United States regarding the composition of the advisory council that will accompany the processes in Gaza.”
He went on to vow that “Turkish or Qatari soldiers will not be in the Strip,” a promise that may be hard to follow through on given both nations’ stated interest in providing security forces to the area.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid seized the opportunity to turn the screws on Netanyahu, telling the prime minister on Tuesday that “either you agreed behind our backs that Turkey, Qatar, and the Palestinian Authority would be in Gaza, or Trump does not take you seriously at all.”
“Trump has figured out your operating mechanism,” Lapid said. “He understands that you are in an election year and that you are afraid of losing. So if he invites you to a party, with a few nice words and a big hug in front of the cameras, he can fold you on the most vital security interests of the State of Israel.”
Trump announced the Board of Peace in September 2025 as part of his larger 20-point plan for peace in the Gaza Strip. It was approved by the United Nations in November as a “transitional administration with international legal personality” to administrate and reconstruct the region.
The Charter of the Board of Peace names Trump as its “inaugural chairman” and, separately, the “inaugural representative of the United States of America.” The latter role will cease following the end of his second term in the Oval Office, but the former will be carried in perpetuity.
Trump will designate his own successor, and power will only be handed over under the conditions of “voluntary resignation” or “incapacity.”
Since that mandate was approved, however, Trump has built out the body with potential for future operations much larger in scope than Gaza.
Membership offers have been extended to approximately 50 countries, according to reports. As many as 25 countries — including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Morocco, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Paraguay, and Vietnam — have already agreed to take part in the organization.
Trump has even extended membership offers to the United States’s most preeminent rivals, Russia and China, though those invitations have yet to be accepted or declined.
The charter asserts that each member state “shall serve a term of no more than three years from this Charter’s entry into force, subject to renewal by the Chairman” but that countries that hand over $1 billion in cash funds will be exempt from that term limit.
TRUMP SAYS HIS BOARD OF PEACE MIGHT REPLACE UN
Messaging about the role and function of the Board has been mixed — at times, U.S. officials have asserted that the organization will not in any way act as an alternative to the U.N. But Trump, asked at a press conference on Monday whether the Board could replace the U.N., responded that “it might.”
“The U.N. just hasn’t been very helpful. I’m a big fan of the U.N. potential, but it has never lived up to its potential,” Trump told reporters. “The U.N. should have settled every one of the wars that I settled […] I believe you’ve got to let the U.N. continue because the potential is so great.”
A comprehensive list of Board of Peace invitees — both accepted and declined — has not been released.
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