‘Our show, not Netanyahu’s’: Trump’s ‘Peace Board’ makeup angers Israel

“If he [Netanyahu] wants the Trump administration to deal with Gaza – we will do it our way,” said US officials.

By World Israel News Staff

Israel reacted angrily this weekend after the White House unveiled a new Gaza oversight framework that Jerusalem says was neither coordinated nor aligned with its policy.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the makeup of the Gaza Executive Board “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”

The executive board operates under the newly announced Board of Peace, an initiative led and chaired by U.S. President Donald Trump to implement his postwar plan for Gaza.

Israeli officials were particularly alarmed by the inclusion of senior representatives from Turkey and Qatar, two countries sharply critical of Israel’s war effort.

U.S. officials confirmed to Israel’s Channel 12 that Netanyahu was not informed in advance.

“We did not tell Netanyahu in advance about the composition of the executive committee. He did not expect there to be representatives from Turkey and Qatar, but Gaza is now our show, not his show,” the officials said.

“If he [Netanyahu] wants the Trump administration to deal with Gaza – we will do it our way,” they added.

The Prime Minister’s Office said Netanyahu instructed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to raise Israel’s objections with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a founding member of the executive board.

The White House said the Gaza Executive Board will help oversee reconstruction and governance, working alongside a technocratic Palestinian body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

That committee, composed of 15 Palestinian technocrats, held its first meeting in Cairo this week under the supervision of former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov.

Trump defended the structure in a Truth Social post, writing: “With the support of Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar, we will secure a COMPREHENSIVE Demilitarization Agreement with Hamas, including the surrender of ALL weapons, and the dismantling of EVERY tunnel.”

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff said the initiative marks the start of the next phase of the administration’s plan.

“Phase 2 establishes a transitional technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, and begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel,” Witkoff said.

Israeli politicians from across the spectrum slammed the move as a diplomatic failure.

Opposition leader Yair Lapid called it “a diplomatic failure for Israel.”

“For the last year, I warned that if you don’t advance the Egyptian solution with the US and the world, you’ll end up with Turkey and Qatar in Gaza,” Lapid wrote.

“Last night the composition of the ‘Board of Peace’ was published – Turkey is in, Qatar is in, and according to the IDF, Hamas still has 30,000 armed men in Gaza,” he added.

Despite the backlash, U.S. officials signaled the administration intends to press ahead, making clear that when it comes to Gaza’s future, Washington is calling the shots.