Backed by the U.N. but boycotted by Europe, Trump’s Gaza plan exposes a new fault line in global diplomacy
MARKET INSIDER – At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Donald Trump declared that the Gaza war was “really coming to an end” as he signed the founding charter of a new international body—the so-called Board of Peace. Framed as a mechanism to oversee the Israel–Hamas ceasefire and rebuild Gaza, the initiative was unveiled with significant symbolism but glaring geopolitical absences that quickly overshadowed the ceremony.
While Trump stood flanked by leaders from parts of the Middle East, Central Asia, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, most of Western Europe—and several core U.S. allies—were nowhere to be seen. The uneven turnout has turned what was meant to signal momentum toward peace into a revealing snapshot of today’s fractured global order.
The signing brought together representatives from Bahrain, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Paraguay, and Argentina. Notable figures included Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Viktor Orbán, and Javier Milei. Their participation signaled support for a U.S.-led reconstruction and governance framework for Gaza—at least in principle.
Yet the absences were more telling than the attendees. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Norway, and Slovenia all declined to sign on. European officials cited a lack of coordination, unresolved governance questions, and discomfort with the guest list. The United Kingdom, represented in Davos but not among the signatories, openly pointed to the invitation extended to Vladimir Putin as a red line. France and Germany reportedly rejected the proposal outright, while Italy said it needed more time. Spain did not send a representative at all—prompting Trump to single it out publicly for “wanting a free ride” on defense.
Russia’s role loomed large despite its absence from the ceremony. The Kremlin confirmed it was “studying” the proposal, and Trump’s Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington was preparing for direct talks with Moscow on potential participation. For many European capitals, the prospect of Russia joining a Gaza oversight body was politically untenable amid the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The Board of Peace itself is not without institutional backing. It received endorsement from the United Nations Security Council last November and is designed to supervise the ceasefire and coordinate reconstruction. Israel did not attend the signing, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to join later, according to multiple reports. On the Palestinian side, Prime Minister Mohammed Mustafa said his government was prepared to work with the board while continuing to rebuild its own institutions.
Operational power, however, sits with a smaller Executive Board announced by the White House. It includes Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, former U.K. prime minister Tony Blair, Marc Rowan, and Ajay Banga—a mix of diplomats, financiers, and political insiders that underscores the administration’s belief that Gaza’s future hinges as much on capital flows as on ceasefire lines.
What matters globally is not just whether Gaza can be rebuilt, but who gets to define the rules. Trump’s Board of Peace highlights a shifting center of gravity: a U.S.-led coalition leaning on emerging markets and Gulf states, while traditional Western allies hesitate on legitimacy, process, and Russia’s role. If Europe stays out and others move in, Gaza could become a test case for a new, more fragmented model of global governance—one that may move faster, but with fewer shared rules and far higher geopolitical risk.
