Israeli PM Netanyahu joins US-led Board of Peace initiative

In a statement published on Wednesday on its official X account, the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed Netanyahu’s decision, making him the latest world leader to join the board.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that he accepts the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump and will become a member of the Board of Peace, which is to be comprised of world leaders,” the statement said.

Trump began inviting foreign leaders to participate in the Board of Peace after unveiling the initiative in September as part of a 20-point plan aimed at achieving a ceasefire in Gaza. The organization is presented as a U.S.-led intergovernmental body and has received endorsement from the United Nations Security Council in connection with its stated Gaza peace mandate.

At least eight countries have publicly confirmed their participation, including Israel, Argentina, Belarus, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Vietnam, Kazakhstan and Hungary. Invitations have also been extended to several other states, among them Canada, Britain, France and Russia.

Despite being framed as a mechanism to support peace in Gaza, the board’s charter does not explicitly reference the Palestinian enclave. Suggestions that its mandate could be expanded to other conflicts have prompted concerns that it may overlap with or undermine the role of the United Nations, an institution that Trump has repeatedly criticized.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that U.S. President Donald Trump said he could impose 200% tariffs on French wines and champagnes as part of efforts to persuade French President Emmanuel Macron to join the proposed Board of Peace initiative.