Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday he would join President Donald Trump’s new Peace Council after previously criticizing the composition of the executive committee.
Netanyahu confirmed he would join the newly created Peace Council, which the Trump administration says will oversee the next phase of the Gaza peace plan.
The Israeli prime minister’s announcement comes after he initially reversed Trump’s proposal, following the inclusion of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi as appointed members of a separate ‘Gaza Executive Council’.
Netanyahu’s office said the move was not coordinated with Israel and “contradicts his policies.”
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WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 07: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin speaks during a meeting with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
When Trump was asked Tuesday whether the administration should replace the United Nations, he said: “It could.”
Trump said the world body “hasn’t been very helpful” and “never lived up to its potential,” but added that the UN should continue to exist “because the potential is so great.”
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US President Donald Trump greets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrives at the White House for a meeting on April 7, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chen Mengtong/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
On January 16, the White House said the Peace Council will play a “vital role” in implementing all 20 points of the president’s Gaza plan, including providing strategic oversight, mobilizing international resources and ensuring accountability as Gaza transitions from conflict to peace and development.
Dozens of countries have been invited, and officials say announcements will go out this weekend, including Belarus, China, Ukraine, India, Canada, Argentina, Jordan, Egypt, Hungary and Vietnam.
Others, including the European Union’s executive branch, confirmed they had received invitations but did not respond.
On Monday, Trump confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin had received an invitation to join the new administration.
The Kremlin said Putin had received the invitation and was “studying the details,” adding that it will seek clarity on “all nuances” in communications with the US government.
France has also received an invitation but does not plan to join “at this stage,” according to a French official close to President Emmanuel Macron.
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President Donald Trump participated in the White House press conference on January 20, 2026, marking his one-year anniversary return to the Oval Office. (Getty Images)
The White House has said Trump will chair the Peace Council and be joined by senior political, diplomatic and business figures, including Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US special envoy Steve Witkoff and billionaire Marc Rowan.
