When US President Donald Trump first proposed establishing a so-called "Board of Peace" to oversee governance of the Gaza Strip for a transitional period back in September, the idea was quickly likened to a form of colonial takeover. The UN nonetheless adopted a Security Council resolution in November giving its blessing to the board's creation—a vote some member states may now regret. The board was officially inaugurated in a Jan. 22 ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, where Trump was attending the World Economic Forum. But Gaza seems almost incidental to its true mission, which appears to be creating a global strongmen's club—led by Trump, potentially for life—to rival, if not replace, the UN itself.

With many European countries hesitant to join, whether it will get off the ground remains to be seen. But the White House has also announced the Palestinian committee that is supposed to govern Gaza under the board's supervision, and the overall imperial bent of the Board of Peace and its troubling composition seem to confirm fears that Trump's "peace plan" is leading nowhere good. For example, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted an invitation to join the board. Not only is he wanted on war crimes charges by the International Criminal Court, but this means he is now pencilled in to oversee the reconstruction of Gaza, a territory where many accuse him of directing a genocide.

From The New Humanitarian, Jan. 23. Internal links added.