A rare public rift has emerged between Israel and the Trump administration after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s newly announced Gaza governance initiative, warning that the composition of its executive body “runs contrary” to Israeli policy and was not coordinated with Jerusalem.
The dispute exposes deep divisions inside Israel’s leadership over Gaza’s future and raises questions about whether diplomacy or decisive military action will define the next phase of the conflict.
Trump Announces Gaza “Board of Peace”
Last week, President Trump unveiled Phase Two of his 20-point Gaza Peace Plan, announcing the formation of a “Board of Peace” that will oversee post-war governance and reconstruction efforts in Gaza. Trump will personally chair the board.
Named members include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jared Kushner, Apollo Global Management CEO Marc Rowan, World Bank President Ajay Banga, and Trump adviser Robert Gabriel.
The White House also announced that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi would participate, supporting what it called “effective governance and the delivery of best-in-class services” for Gaza.
That inclusion triggered immediate backlash in Israel.
Netanyahu Says Plan Was Not Coordinated
According to Ynet and the New York Post, Netanyahu’s office released a statement Saturday saying the U.S. announcement “was not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”
The prime minister instructed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to raise Israel’s objections directly with Secretary of State Rubio, particularly regarding Turkey and Qatar—two countries Israel has long accused of backing Hamas.
While some reports suggest Netanyahu may be posturing for domestic political reasons, the official rebuke underscores Israel’s deep discomfort with any Gaza framework involving states linked to Islamist movements.
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Israeli Ministers Demand Military Solution
Hardline members of Netanyahu’s coalition went further.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir rejected the entire concept of a Gaza executive board, calling instead for a renewed military campaign.
“The Gaza Strip does not need any ‘executive board’ to oversee its rehabilitation,” Ben Gvir said. “It needs to be cleared of Hamas terrorists, who must be eliminated.”
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich echoed that view, condemning the board as being composed of “states that breathed life into Hamas.”
Both ministers have repeatedly argued that reconstruction without total Hamas eradication guarantees future conflict.
Turkey and Qatar: The Core Dispute
At the heart of Israel’s objections is the inclusion of Turkey and Qatar—two nations widely regarded by Israeli officials as political enablers of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Turkey has hosted Hamas figures and maintains ideological ties to Islamist movements, while Qatar has served as a key financial conduit into Gaza. Israeli officials argue that granting either country a formal role in Gaza governance undermines Israel’s security objectives and legitimizes hostile actors.
Despite U.S. assurances that additional board members will be announced in the coming weeks, Israeli leaders have made clear that Turkey and Qatar are unacceptable partners.
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Strategic Tension With Washington
The clash places Netanyahu in a delicate position. Trump remains Israel’s most supportive U.S. ally in decades, yet the Gaza plan reflects a broader American desire to stabilize the region through managed governance rather than open-ended warfare.
Israel’s right-wing bloc, however, views any compromise short of Hamas’s total elimination as an existential threat.
Whether Netanyahu can balance U.S. diplomacy with internal pressure to resume full-scale war remains uncertain.
Prophetic Context
Scripture warns that peace plans imposed without truth and security often collapse. “They heal the brokenness of My people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ but there is no peace” (Jeremiah 6:14, NASB 1977).
The Gaza dispute reflects an enduring biblical reality: peace in the Middle East cannot be sustained by administrative structures alone when terror, ideology, and spiritual rebellion remain unresolved.
Conclusion
Netanyahu’s rejection of Trump’s Gaza Executive Board highlights a widening fault line between diplomatic stabilization and military finality. As Israeli ministers openly call for a return to war “with enormous force,” the question facing both governments is stark: can Gaza be governed before Hamas is destroyed—or does peace without victory simply postpone the next war?
The answer may determine not only Gaza’s future, but the stability of the entire region.
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