Recommendations of the Editorial team
President Trump’s “Board of Peace” includes numerous countries with a record of human rights abuses and government corruption – and now it’s raising a lot of money. Trump — who has benefited immensely from his presidency — announced Thursday that he would transfer $10 billion in taxpayer money to the body, where countries like Israel, El Salvador, Turkey, Argentina, the United Arab Emirates, Hungary and Saudi Arabia would theoretically use it to bring about peace in the Middle East…or something like that.
On paper, the Board of Peace is supposed to oversee the implementation of a Gaza peace plan. The president has made clear through social media posts and public statements that he wants Gaza – where countless bodies lie beneath the rubble of bombed-out cities – to be redeveloped as the “Trump Riviera” of the Middle East, as he put it last year.
In Davos this year, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who holds no official government position, unveiled plans to transform the war-ravaged region into a coastal tourism destination ripe for international investment – and profits.
High fees, unclear controls
Trump is demanding a hefty $1 billion fee from member states to secure a spot on the panel, but it is unclear what that money will actually be used for. What is clear is that Trump, a long-time critic of the United Nations, wants to create his own international coalition of states that operates directly under his control. Russian President Vladimir Putin was invited even though he is actively waging a devastating expansionist war against Ukraine. Several prominent American allies and Western states have refused to go along with this farce.
The Vatican rejected an invitation earlier this week. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Ukraine and several other countries have explicitly declined to participate, while dozens of others apparently acted as if their invitations had been lost in the mail.
The dissonance was clearly visible at the first official meeting of the Board of Peace on Thursday in Washington, DC, where – in the absence of America’s historic allies – obsequious world leaders praised the American president for convening this “peace” coalition over which Trump exercises complete control.
Staging and self-praise
To a soundtrack that included Guns N’ Roses’ “November Rain” and Laura Branigan’s “Gloria,” the president posed for photos and praised financial commitments from participating states. The meeting ended with the president banging a golden gavel as his personal anthem “YMCA” blared over the venue’s speakers.
Kushner was also present and emphasized that “no one benefits personally from this.” Still, concerns have already been raised that the president, as chairman of the body, could have access to the organization’s finances outside the control and oversight of the U.S. government essentially indefinitely – without term limits or other restrictions.
Trump did not specify where exactly the promised $10 billion in American funds would come from, and there is no indication that Congress has approved this spending.
Threats against Iran
“If you compare that to the cost of a war, that’s two weeks of fighting, it’s a very small number. It sounds like a lot, but it’s a very small number,” the president said. In addition to the $1 billion fee to join the body, the president noted that another $7 billion was contributed by the group’s members.
Trump used the “peace” meeting to announce that he would make a decision on military action against Iran within the next “10 days.” In recent weeks, the US military has massively expanded its presence in the Middle East as it tries to reach a nuclear deal with the country.
Actually, that wouldn’t be necessary after Trump claimed last year that the strike he ordered against Iran had “obliterated” their nuclear facilities, but oh well.
Praise and absence
The prospect of renewed warfare in the region did not overshadow Trump’s “peace” event. Egypt’s prime minister referred to Trump as his “Excellence,” a break from usual protocol for U.S. presidents who have historically rejected titles and designations associated with monarchical nobility. Kazakhstan’s repressive President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev suggested that the committee “establish a special President Trump Board of Peace Award to recognize his outstanding efforts and achievements.”
No surprise, given Trump’s well-known fixation on receiving shiny objects as recognition of his greatness. On that note, for some reason not apparent to those in attendance, FIFA President Gianni Infantino was also present at the event, wearing a red “USA” cap.
Even as world leaders took advantage of their designated praise periods, Trump appeared unwilling or unable to give them his full attention. During the more than two-hour meeting, the president repeatedly appeared to be nodding off in his seat as other heads of state and dignitaries spoke to him.
