E.U. leaders are set to discuss whether to join U.S. President Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace, when they will gather in Brussels on Thursday for an extraordinary summit meeting mainly dedicated to the Greenland issue.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and several European countries, including Germany, France, Italy and Hungary, have received invitations to join the board.
France has already said it does not intend to join over fears the board’s structure calls into question the “principles and structure of the United Nations” and grants “extensive powers” to Trump, who chairs the board.
Board members will oversee an executive committee that will be in charge of implementing Phase 2 of a 20-point peace plan for Gaza presented by Trump last September, which includes the deployment of an international force, the disarmament of Hamas and reconstruction of the Gaza Strip. The executive committee will include, among others, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Ajay Banga, the head of the World Bank.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has accepted his seat. His foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, said Orbán is “honored” by Trump’s offer. German government spokesman Steffen Cornelius said: “We are thankful for this invitation. We share the aim of pursuing peace in the world. It is in Germany’s core interest to end the conflict in Gaza for good.”
Von der Leyen is reportedly still considering the offer. E.U. spokesperson for foreign affairs Anouar El Anouni said earlier this week that the E.U. received the invitation and is ready to discuss with the U.S. and other partners about how it can contribute to a global effort to bring peace to Gaza.
“We have unique expertise and a multi-dimensional toolbox capable of responding to the situation in Gaza,” he said. He noted that the E.U. can act in security, diplomatic and humanitarian areas.
“The priority for us is peace, to reach peace, and we want to contribute to a global plan approach to end the conflict in Gaza,” a commission spokesperson said.
A permanent seat on the board comes with a $1 billion price tag. But an E.U. official told Politico that the invitation received by von der Leyen does not include a mention of the entry price.
The commission president, who was invited “to represent the E.U.,” will hold consultations with the European leaders on the matter on Thursday.
Trump is keen to get the board constitution and remit nailed down at the World Business Forum in Davos, Switzerland, also on Thursday.
Originally published by the European Jewish Press.
