And then there’s the Board of Peace
An strange title, descriptive of a lofty goal and somehow sounding like something out of Orwell: The Board of Peace.
At issue is not a lack of goodwill or insufficient urgency around Gaza. Rather, the problem is structural. The Board’s design, scope, and governance diverge sharply from the mandate provided by UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which authorized a Gaza-specific, UN-anchored, and time-limited stabilization mechanism linked to a credible political horizon. Instead, the Board of Peace was introduced as a quasi-permanent institution, chaired for life, funded through high entry fees, and endowed—at least rhetorically—with ambitions extending well beyond Gaza. Notably, the word “Gaza” does not appear in the Board’s charter at all.
These choices were not lost on the international community. Nor were they merely inferred. Trump himself publicly suggested that the Board might one day replace or supersede the United Nations, and he repeatedly floated roles for the Board beyond the Gaza context. For many governments, this raised unavoidable questions about institutional overlap, mandate creep, and the erosion of existing international frameworks. The result has been hesitation where unity was expected — and absence where legitimacy was required.
“Unity was expected”? Give me a break. The article goes on to say that Europe’s leaders think it threatens the UN – which I am pretty sure it does, but that’s a feature rather than a bug. Speaking of “legitimacy,” the UN has lost all it ever had.
And about those Arab nations:
The pattern among Muslim-majority states is more nuanced, but no less revealing. Eight such states joined the Board, yet none of the Arab signatories did so at the head-of-state level. This was not accidental. It was a signal.
Across the Muslim world, there is broad consensus on a core point: without the Palestinian Authority, there can be no unified Palestinian governance, and without unified governance, there can be no credible path to statehood.
I think the last thing they actually want is Palestinian statehood.
Then there’s Jared Kushner’s presentation on Gaza:
Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, who played a leading role in brokering that agreement, leaned into optimism …
A map of Gaza was pulled up on a screen to show how the enclave would be developed.
A “coastal tourism” zone would run along the seafront — long enough for up to 180 skyscrapers, many likely earmarked as hotels. …
Kushner highlighted two urban developments, which he referred to as New Rafah and New Gaza.
At “New Rafah,” more than 100,000 permanent housing units would be built, along with over 200 schools and more than 75 medical facilities, he said. He expressed hope that the construction would be completed within two to three years. Work has already begun to remove the rubble, he said. …
“New Gaza” is to be a center of industry, with the aim of achieving 100% full employment, Kushner said. Computer-generated images suggest a metropolis bearing a strong resemblance to Persian Gulf cities like Doha and Dubai, with gleaming waterside accommodations and office locations. …
The presentation said that heavy weapons, tunnels, military infrastructure, munitions and production facilities will be destroyed, but it did not dictate how the process will be carried out.
Seems like a fantasy – to put it mildly – albeit a pleasant one. It would take a great deal more than real estate to transform a population raised on hate and destruction into this vision. The optimistic point of view says that the people in charge of this aren’t naive idiots (after all, the Abraham Accords probably seemed absurdly unrealistic at first) but time will tell.
Merely the next iteration in the quest to erase the
Jewish StateZionist Entity.(With all the best intentions(!) and for all the right reasons, certainly…)
And who knows? Maybe this time it’ll actually work!!
(I.e., if it ever gets off the ground and manages to reach orbit.)
N.B. The rather sinister eminence to watch out for in this sordid tale—and throughout the region (since January 2025)—would seem to be Tom Barrack. The question WRT him should be, Why? The answer might well be “Beware…all ye who…”
And then there are the Kurds…who have been hung out to twist in the wind on account of a…whim.
Whose?
And (once Again)WHY?
I’m not at all sure that this will work. I have two positive thoughts, however. One, any plan that removes UNRWA and the UN from the situation is good. Two, only Muslim Arab groups would be able to control the Brotherhood/Salafi people without charges of “racism” and “Islamophobia.”
With at least one itty bitty little problem:
“Who Counsels Qatar And Turkey, Hamas’s Representatives On Trump’s Board Of Peace?”—
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2026/01/22/who-counsels-qatar-and-turkey-hamass-representatives-on-trumps-board-of-peace/
Opening graf:
And then there’s Pakistan…
(Kinda like a really bad joke…)
Call Me Back Podcast- with Dan Senor gets into the weeds explaining who is on the myriad of boards and how Israel will navigate the intransigence of Hamas, who haven’t disarmed under Phase 1.
People associated with the PA and very much enemies of Hamas are on the board of technocrats charged with running the day to day operations.
If you want to know how it’s supposed to work and how Hamas can be disarmed (Trump is still threatening to blow Hamas up if they don’t disarm), they get into that. Hamas has given up larger arms, but still have an arsenal of 60,000 Kalashnikov rifles, which is the weapon of choice for on the ground control of the people.
If President Trump does help the Iranian people overthrow the Islamic Republic, this may change the landscape in Gaza, though, I would suspect other ME regimes would pick up the tab of financing Hamas. Right now they are still funding themselves by confiscating the food being brought into Gaza and profiting from the sale.
Phase II of Trump’s Gaza Plan – with Nadav Eyal and Amit Segal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEDcmU5YrEA
Speaking of witticisms (good, bad or otherwise), here’s Milei doing some timely standup in Davos….
“Argentinian President cites weekly Torah portion in Davos;
“…Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Argentina’s President Javier Milei invokes Parashat Bo to warn…the West…”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421344
(Kind of an “in” joke, actually…or should that be, “out” joke…?)
The only vision Gazans have ever seen were from PLO/HAMAS, now they will see a different vision. One that gives them a legitimate reason to be for peace. Once they show the world they can coexist without violence, then maybe they can become a State.
More stand-up, this time at Comedy Central…
‘Hamas refuses to disarm, demands full withdrawal and opening of all crossings;
‘Hamas claims it remains committed to the ceasefire but continues to demand the opening of all crossings, full IDF withdrawal from Gaza, and complete reconstruction – without giving up its “resistance weapons.”’—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/421347
This ‘plan’ is a non-starter and Jared Kushner is an obsequious fool.
An awesome article on the current utterly delusional zeitgeist that has seduced so many…and the horrific historical precedent that those seduced seem so earnestly eager to repeat.
“The Red–Green alliance and the lesson Iran is teaching the West again;
“Radical western leftists need reminding of the danger of aligning with or backing Islamist movements”—
https://nationalpost.com/opinion/the-red-green-alliance-and-the-lesson-iran-is-teaching-the-west-again
H/T Blazingcatfur blog.
https://blazingcatfur.ca/2026/01/22/sheryl-saperia-the-red-green-alliance-and-the-lesson-iran-is-teaching-the-west-again/
Barry @ 8:13pm,
That was very interesting. Thanks for sharing that!
This presumes Palestinians/Gazans think as we do. That the prospect for a peaceful and prosperous future will attract them.
Disagree. They were raised to accept and seek death and catastrophe in the pursuit if their hate. They raise their kids to be martyrs, not high school tennis players.
Peace and prosperity will not suffice.
Among other things, how do you construct buildings when somebody comes by with a molotove cocktail at three in the morning or puts sand in the excavator’s fuel tank? Need twenty-four armed guard from the beginning of the foundation to….forever.
Neither of the above takes organization or technical know-how. Just enough unreconstructed individuals. And equally underground muscle to terrify more sympathetic folks into inaction.
IMO, this is an expensive, ostentatiously generous, way to prove that the Palestinians/Gazans are hopeless, irredeemable. And that what Israel does to defend itself is, after said demonstration, completely justified and without any options.
The western allies of the P/G folks will be entirely naked of alibis.
Hey! I’ve got artists renderings going back to the 1950’s of a bright, sparkling future Cleveland! And they’re all true! Watch out for those flying cars!
Amit Segal, minutes ago:
https://x.com/i/status/2015781957439734057
So, phase one is completed, while phase two has already begun. May the Gvili family find peace hereafter.