WASHINGTON DC – The Trump administration has named US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and former UK prime minister Sir Tony Blair as two of the founding members of its “Board of Peace”...
for Gaza. Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner will also sit on the “founding executive board,” the White House said in a statement on Friday.
Trump will act as chairman of the board, which forms part of his 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas. It is expected to temporarily oversee the administration of Gaza and manage its reconstruction.
Also on the founding executive board are Marc Rowan, the head of a private equity firm; World Bank chief Ajay Banga; and US National Security Adviser Robert Gabriel. Each member will have a portfolio “critical to Gaza’s stabilisation and long-term success,” the White House statement said.
Trump said on Thursday that the board had been formed, calling it the “greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled at any time, any place.” Further members will be named in the coming weeks, the White House added.
Canadian media, citing senior government officials, have reported that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has been asked to join the board and intends to accept the invitation. The BBC has contacted Carney’s office for comment.
Sir Tony was UK prime minister from 1997 to 2007 and took the UK into the Iraq War in 2003. After leaving office, he served as Middle East envoy for the Quartet of international powers (the US, the EU, Russia, and the UN). In this role, he focused on promoting economic development in Palestine and creating the conditions for progress towards a two-state solution.
Sir Tony had already taken part in high-level talks about Gaza’s future with the US and other parties. In August, he joined a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the territory, which Witkoff described as “very comprehensive.”
In a statement, the former prime minister said he was honoured to be appointed and that it had been a “real privilege” to work with Witkoff and Kushner so far. “I look forward to working with them and other colleagues in line with the president’s vision to promote peace and prosperity,” Sir Tony said. (BBC)
