Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been invited to US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace, which would give Israel a seat at the table on a supervisory but largely symbolic body meant to oversee Gaza’s postwar development.

Netanyahu’s office confirmed to The Times of Israel that he or a representative of his choice was invited to the board. If he accepts, Israel will join a growing list of countries that have confirmed receiving invitations. They are from Europe, Asia, Australia, the Americas and the Middle East and span Israel’s allies and adversaries.

At least one country, France, signaled its intention to decline Trump’s invitation.

Also confirming an invitation was Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as the leaders of Belarus and Kazakhstan, both close Russian allies.

Moscow is likewise an ally to Iran and to the ousted Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. But it has for years tried to balance ties with all major players in the Middle East — including the Palestinians and Israel — and strives for good relations with the Jewish state, home to a large Russian-born community.

The Kremlin has also sought closer relationships with the Gulf states amid growing Western isolation.

“President Putin also received an invitation to join this Board of Peace,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists.

Russia was seeking to “clarify all the nuances” of the offer with Washington, he said, without adding if the Kremlin chief was inclined to join.

The Board of Peace, which will act as an oversight body for Gaza and which Trump will chair, will largely be made up of heads of state from around the world. Trump has invited 60 countries to join the board, and permanent membership will be available to those who pay $1 billion.

Israel’s inclusion adds to a complex mosaic of invitees. They include traditional US allies from Europe as well as states that have been adversarial to Israel, such as Turkey, which has hosted some of Hamas’s leaders. India and Pakistan are both invited.

The Board of Peace’s charter does not mention Gaza, suggesting that Trump may want it to address other conflicts as well. But the UN Security Council resolution pertaining to the board that was passed last month restricts its mandate to the Strip, and approves it only until the end of 2027.

The US is aiming to hold the board’s first meeting on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Wednesday, officials........

© The Times of Israel