Israel’s Netanyahu agrees to join Trump’s Board of Peace

JERUSALEM: Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday he had agreed to join US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, after his office earlier criticized the makeup of the board’s committee tasked with overseeing Gaza.

The board, chaired by Trump, was originally envisaged as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire plan. The Trump administration’s ambitions have broadened into a more sprawling concept, with Trump extending invitations to dozens of nations and hinting it will soon broker global conflicts.

The announcement is a departure from the previous stand by Netanyahu’s office.

It had said the composition of the Gaza executive committee — which includes Turkey, a key regional rival — wasn’t coordinated with the Israeli government and ran “contrary to its policy,” without clarifying its objections.

Netanyahu’s decision to join the board could now put him in conflict with some of the far-right allies in his coalition, such as

Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.