Spain’s Prime Minister Has Rejected Joining Trump’s "Board Of Peace" In Gaza For Not Including Palestinians
“It is clear this board is outside the framework of the United Nations and has not included the Palestinian Authority,” Sánchez said, adding, “The future of Palestine as a whole must be led by the Palestinians.”
Spain has declined US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join his Board of Peace (BoP), which is supposed to oversee the governance of Gaza, as it does not include Palestinians on it and works outside the UN framework.
The BoP, which will be chaired by Trump, is tasked with overseeing Gaza’s transitional governance, reconstruction and demilitarization.
It was first introduced with a specific two-year UN Security Council mandate to manage Gaza after the “ceasefire” with a limited number of leaders on it and an executive board attached to it.
However, Trump’s government has reportedly sent invites to about 60 countries to join the board with a draft charter that allegedly does not mention the Palestinian territory and appears to be designed to replace functions of the UN, according to BBC.
On Thursday, Jan. 22, Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters that after days of consideration it had decided to inform the US it will not participate in the BoP.
“It is clear this board is outside the framework of the United Nations and has not included the Palestinian Authority,” Sánchez said, adding, “The future of Palestine as a whole must be led by the Palestinians.”
Norway, Sweden, France and Slovenia are among other European countries that have declined to join the board due to concerns over the board's structure and fears it would dismantle the UN.
Spain said it will continue to be involved in the dialogue process that allows for a two-state solution, facilitates access to humanitarian aid in Gaza and promotes peace between Israel and Palestine.
Cherry Mohamed
Cherry Mohamed
