BY OUR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
DONALD TRUMP has unveiled a star-studded “Gaza Peace Council” to solve the Middle East crisis—and slapped a staggering $1 billion (£770 million) price tag on a seat at the table.
The President-elect is taking a “business-first” approach to diplomacy, appointing a team of loyalists and heavy hitters to oversee the reconstruction of the war-torn region.
The Council will be chaired by Trump himself and features a “who’s who” of power players, including his son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, and real estate mogul Steve Witkoff.
In a move that has stunned Westminster, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has also been named to the board, alongside billionaire Apollo Global Management boss Mark Rowan.
However, it is the Council’s draft charter—leaked via Bloomberg—that has sent shockwaves through the diplomatic world.
According to the document, any nation wanting a permanent seat on the council must cough up a $1 billion contribution.
Under the rules of the “Trump Club”:
The Boss Decides: Trump holds a personal veto over every decision made by the Council.
Short Leash: Membership terms are capped at three years, with renewals solely at the President’s discretion.
Family & Finance: Kushner, the architect of the Abraham Accords, returns to the fold alongside Wall Street titan Rowan and advisers Aryeh Lightstone and Josh Greenbaum.
Succession:
In a move typical of his corporate empire, Trump has reserved the right to hand-pick his successor as Chair at any time.
The formation of the Gaza Peace Council marks a radical departure from traditional UN-led diplomacy. By defining the Council as an “international organization,” the Trump administration aims to bypass existing bureaucratic structures in favor of a lean, high-net-worth board of “deal-makers.”
Jared Kushner’s return is significant; during Trump’s first term, he brokered the Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations.
The inclusion of Tony Blair suggests Trump is seeking “Elder Statesman” credibility to balance his team of Florida-based loyalists.
Critics are already calling it “checkbook diplomacy,” but Trump’s allies argue that a massive financial “buy-in” ensures that member nations are seriously committed to the region’s stability.
