Aaron David Miller on Trump's 'Board of Peace' and the Gaza Conflict

Critiquing Trump's 'Board of Peace'

• 🎯 The proposed 'Board of Peace' initiative is criticized for lacking governing principles and being dependent on Donald Trump's personal preferences.
• 💡 Credible, democratic countries are unlikely to join a board that is not grounded in established rules or processes.
• 🎭 The initiative is largely seen as performative, with mediators and applied leverage being the actual drivers of conflict resolution.

Motivations for Joining the Board

• 🤝 Countries signing onto the board fall into three categories: those already loyal to Trump, those needing his support (like Israel), and authoritarian regimes without legal obstacles.
• ⚠️ Leaders like Italy's Giorgia Meloni are cautious, needing to verify constitutional compatibility, highlighting the initiative's questionable legitimacy.

Limitations of the Board of Peace

• 🚫 The 'Board of Peace' cannot replace the UN's humanitarian or peacekeeping functions due to its lack of mandate and authority.
• ⚡ Conflict resolution is achieved through negotiation with leverage, as seen in past deals brokered by Trump, not through large, unwieldy committees.

Challenges in the Gaza Strip

• 💥 Despite ceasefires, fundamental and irreconcilable differences persist between the Israeli government and Hamas, hindering progress.
• ⚖️ A key challenge is committing Israelis to withdrawal and Hamas to disarmament, while also establishing a viable Palestinian interlocutor like the Palestinian Authority.
• 📉 The longer the conflict persists, the greater the risk of Gaza becoming a divided, dysfunctional, and sporadically violent territory, primarily impacting Palestinians.