A Gaza Board Without Israel—and With Hamas Supporters

Update:  After Israel’s objections to the rogue gallery of Islamists being on Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, Netanyahu has been extended an invitation to sit alongside his adversaries on this board.

By Paul Schnee | January 18, 2026

If Netanyahu was not informed, then it is an enormous insult not only to Israel but also to the men & women of the IDF whose sacrifices made these talks and arrangements a possibility.

Turkey’s president, the determined Islamist Recep Erdogan, will be undermining Israel and DT’s 20-point peace plan while the Qataris will continue to play arsonist and firefighter depending on their perceived interests. Together, Kushner, Witkoff and Vance are no match for Arab Palestinian duplicity or the treachery of Qatar and Turkey. Unlike the Israelis they don’t really understand with whom they are dealing or the nature of the beast. It’s tragic.

As for Tony Blair, during 8 years as the U.N.’s envoy in the Middle East he confused activity with achievement while showing a distinct bias against Israel. Still, he was busy converting to Roman Catholicism and losing Toronto’s Munk debate on religion to Christopher Hitchens. The time for this political pantaloon to be ushered off the stage is long overdue.

Former prime minister and opposition leader Yair Lapid called the recent announcement on the Gaza BoP a “diplomatic failure for Israel, claiming that for the last year he has been warning the government 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.”

US official says PM deliberately not told of Qatari, Turkish inclusion on Gaza panel — report
By Nava Freiberg, Times of Israel, 17 January 2026, 9:20 pm

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was deliberately not notified by the United States about the makeup of the Gaza Board of Peace’s executive committee, a senior US official tells Channel 12, in a report following the premier’s statement tonight that the unveiling of the oversight body “was not coordinated with Israel and contradicts its policy.”

The official, who is said to be directly involved in the issue, tells the Hebrew network that the US intentionally chose not to inform Netanyahu about the inclusion of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi on the committee. Their appointments are believed to have angered Netanyahu, as both Turkey and Qatar have been sharply critical of Israel and its conduct of the war in Gaza.

The official asserts that Gaza is now being handled by the US and encourages Netanyahu to focus on other issues, such as developments in Iran, adding that the administration has no intention to argue with the premier and suggesting that his influence on the matter is limited.

Channel 12 also reports that Israeli-Cypriot businessman Yakir Gabay, who will serve on the Executive Committee, is very close to top Trump aide Jared Kushner and former British premier Tony Blair, who were appointed to the body as well. An expert in real estate and infrastructure, Gabay is expected to focus on the reconstruction of the Strip, the network says.

In contrast to the US official cited by Channel 12, a Ynet report cites US officials who claim that Israel was informed in advance about the makeup of the Gaza oversight bodies, despite Netanyahu’s assertion that no coordination took place.

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