The First Meeting of the “Board of Peace” Was Held Under the Chairmanship of Trump, With the Participation of More Than 45 Countries.
(Translated)

Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 588 - 25/02/2026

By: Ustadh Ahmed Al-Khatwani

On February 19, 2026, US President Trump chaired the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace, which he heads. Delegations from over 45 countries participated, along with several heads of state and representatives. Among the presidents present were Javier Pérez de la Paix of Argentina, Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, and Shavkat Mirziyoyev of Uzbekistan. Prime ministers from several countries also attended, including Mostafa Madbouly of Egypt, Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, and Viktor Orbán of Hungary. Foreign ministers from various countries joined the meeting, including Badr Abdel-Aty of Egypt, Hakan Fidan of Turkey, and Gideon Sa'ar of the Jewish entity.

Italy, Romania, Greece, and Cyprus represented Europe, while South Korea and Japan participated as observers from Asia. Representatives from the European Union and other international organizations also attended.

It is clear that the purpose of this international participation, and the attempt to expand it, was merely for show, not to contribute to a solution. Trump spoke proudly of this participation in his opening remarks, saying, “This is a big day, and lots of people watching, especially from other countries — the leaders of, as you know, the other countries, because we have a large group of leaders... What we’re doing is very simple. Peace. It’s called the Board of Peace, and it’s all about an easy word to say but a hard word to produce. Peace. But we’re going to produce it, and we’ve been doing a really good job.”

He added, spouting empty rhetoric about this illusory peace, “there's nothing more important than peace, and there’s nothing less expensive than peace. You know, when you go to wars, it costs you 100 times what it costs to make peace.”

He claimed that “Almost everybody has accepted, and the ones that haven’t will be. Some are playing a little cute. It doesn’t work. You can’t play cute with me. But they’re playing a little bit. But they’re all joining. Most of them very immediately.” He added, “A few that we really don’t want because they’re trouble, we take care of them.”

He asserted that the Board was to “work together to ensure the brighter future for the people of Gaza, the Middle East and the entire world.” According to him, this Board is not just for Gaza and the Middle East, but for the entire world.

Trump declared that “The war in Gaza is over. It’s over,” and reiterated his statement that, “Hamas has been -- I think they’re going to give up their weapons, which is what they promised. If they don’t, it will be -- you know, they'll be harshly met, very harshly met.”

He also hinted at the Jewish entity by saying that, “They want to go in and fight. They tell me all the time, we’d like to send soldiers to fight if it’s necessary. And I don’t think it’s going to be necessary.” He pointed out that “I’m pleased to announce that Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait have all contributed more than $7 billion toward the relief package, that’s great,” and announced huge contributions for the reconstruction of Gaza, including $10 billion from America alone.

Trump also invited Iran to join the Board of Peace, “And now is the time for Iran to join us on a path that will complete what we’re doing. And if they join us, that will be great.”

For his part, the commander of the International Stabilization Force, Major General Jasper Jeffers III, said that five countries had pledged to contribute troops to the internal security force in Gaza: Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania. He explained that Egypt and Jordan had pledged to train the police who would be deployed in the Gaza Strip. Jeffers indicated that the International Stabilization Force would begin by deploying its troops in the area of the Rafah Border Crossing in ​​southern Gaza to train the police there, then gradually expand throughout the Gaza Strip. He stated that the long-term plan involves using 20,000 troops from the International Stabilization Force in addition to training 12,000 police officers.

However, the most dangerous aspect of the Board of Peace for the world’s nations is its broader vision, extending beyond the geographical scope of Gaza, and its expanded mandate to be applicable to other conflicts and disputes around the world, not limited to Gaza.

This Board takes into account the representation of all international regional blocs, has an executive army, a formally democratic voting mechanism, grants membership to all countries and blocs, and has permanent funding from its members. It is thus positioned to be an alternative to the current international institution. Even the articles of its charter, and the way they are worded, are framed and formulated in a general manner that is not limited to the geography of Gaza, but extends to be applicable to other conflicts in all regions.

Trump appointed himself permanent chairman of the Board, granting him sole authority to approve its resolutions and to invite members to participate. He disregarded the existing international institution and the other major global powers besides the United States.

This Board was designed as an alternative to the UN Security Council and the United Nations, with a new structure, a new voting system, and a trajectory entirely parallel to the current world order.

The establishment of this Board was accompanied by the US withdrawal from 66 international organizations, and a reduction in its funding to the United Nations to less than a quarter of its required contribution. Meanwhile, it lavishes ten billion dollars on this new Board and compels its allies to contribute another ten billion. All of this demonstrates its desire to dismantle the current international order and establish a new unipolar system in which America is the ultimate authority, the sole permanent member, and indeed, the only state possessing veto power. Today, America, from the perspective of its president Trump and those with him, sees itself as the only power qualified to manage the affairs of the world with uniqueness and competence, and does not share decision-making with others. It does not accept international multilateralism, nor does it accept that any other international power should challenge its dominance of the international order.