[[{"content_id":414378,"content_number":0,"portal_id":2,"lang_id":"en","content_title":"Peace in name only","content_rtitr":"","content_short_title":null,"content_summary":"Why Trump’s Board of Peace does not help Gaza?","content_summary_fill":1,"content_body":"&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWhile children in Gaza search for warmth inside tents and broken buildings, Washington hosts meetings under the title of a new &ldquo;Board of Peace&rdquo; launched by President Donald Trump.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe name sounds important. But the questions are even bigger.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIn Gaza, children do not hear conference speeches. They are not protected by slogans about peace hanging on the walls of luxury halls. Under the rubble, mothers know that words do not stop missiles. Statements of condemnation do not rebuild homes. Speeches do not wipe away the tears of a child who has lost his family.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThey speak about peace.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut peace does not come with bombing.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt is not born from ruins.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt cannot be written in ink while reality is written in fire.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe problem of legitimacy before politics\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe main issue with this &ldquo;Board of Peace&rdquo; is not only its political goals, but its legitimacy.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAny framework that ignores the United Nations and international law weakens the global system that was built after World War II. The Palestinian cause has long been addressed through international resolutions and legal frameworks under the United Nations. When a new body acts outside that system, it risks replacing international law with political power.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nWithout clear international legitimacy, future actions lose their legal foundation, whether reconstruction projects, law enforcement arrangements, or even military or security involvement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTherefore, peace without legal legitimacy becomes a political tool, not a binding process.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAbsent representation and present occupation\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOne of the most controversial aspects of the meeting was the absence of official Palestinian representation, while Israel, the occupying power, was present at the meeting with a name tag before the representative while no any name tag for Palestine.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHow can peace be discussed without the participation of the people living under occupation?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nHow can the focus be on disarming Gaza while ignoring the ongoing occupation and military operations?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nA real peace process must address the root cause of the conflict. Ending violence cannot mean only removing weapons from one side while leaving the political reality unchanged.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAbsence of Europe\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nMany major European countries did not attend the first meeting. This absence was not just symbolic. It reflects concerns that the initiative bypasses international institutions and may conflict with established international positions on Palestine.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThere are also fears that such a board could reduce Europe&rsquo;s political role in the Palestinian \/ Israeli conflict while asking for financial contributions for reconstruction.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAlthough European caution may seem positive, it does not remove their historical and political responsibility for what is happening in Gaza.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nRealism vs. Justice\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSome argue that this board represents a &ldquo;practical transition phase&rdquo;. They say the alternative could be renewed war or a long-term Israeli military administration in Gaza. They speak about realistic needs: temporary housing, jobs, unified police forces, and a minimum level of normal life.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThese are important needs. People in Gaza desperately need stability and services.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut realism should not mean ignoring international law. It should not mean turning a humanitarian disaster into an opportunity to impose political arrangements without broad agreement.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nTrue security protects people&hellip; it does not simply reorganize power structures.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAny reconstruction or security reform must come from Palestinian consensus and operate within clear international legal frameworks.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGaza as a test for the world\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGaza today is not just another headline. It is a moral test for the international system.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nUnited Nations officials have repeatedly warned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation: families displaced many times, winter without electricity, severe shortages of water and medical care, and children dying while waiting for medical evacuation.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAny board of peace that does not put civilian protection and an immediate end to violations at the center of its agenda cannot truly be called a board of peace.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nSo, Gaza needs a new political path. No one denies that.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nBut peace cannot be built outside international legitimacy. It cannot succeed without Palestinian representation. And it cannot reduce the conflict to a security issue while ignoring the deeper political reality.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nThe real question is simple:\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nDo we want a just settlement based on international law?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nOr temporary arrangements based on power politics?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nGaza does not need a board that carries the word &ldquo;peace&rdquo;.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nIt needs justice before reconstruction&hellip; and law that protects people before plans that redesign the territory. Gazans want the world to treat them as human beings who live in the same planet.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n-Tamer Ajrami is a student of political science living in Belgium. His article appeared in MEMO.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;","content_html":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">While children in Gaza search for warmth inside tents and broken buildings, Washington hosts meetings under the title of a new &ldquo;Board of Peace&rdquo; launched by President Donald Trump.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The name sounds important. But the questions are even bigger.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">In Gaza, children do not hear conference speeches. They are not protected by slogans about peace hanging on the walls of luxury halls. Under the rubble, mothers know that words do not stop missiles. Statements of condemnation do not rebuild homes. Speeches do not wipe away the tears of a child who has lost his family.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">They speak about peace.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">But peace does not come with bombing.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">It is not born from ruins.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">It cannot be written in ink while reality is written in fire.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The problem of legitimacy before politics<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The main issue with this &ldquo;Board of Peace&rdquo; is not only its political goals, but its legitimacy.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Any framework that ignores the United Nations and international law weakens the global system that was built after World War II. The Palestinian cause has long been addressed through international resolutions and legal frameworks under the United Nations. When a new body acts outside that system, it risks replacing international law with political power.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Without clear international legitimacy, future actions lose their legal foundation, whether reconstruction projects, law enforcement arrangements, or even military or security involvement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Therefore, peace without legal legitimacy becomes a political tool, not a binding process.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Absent representation and present occupation<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">One of the most controversial aspects of the meeting was the absence of official Palestinian representation, while Israel, the occupying power, was present at the meeting with a name tag before the representative while no any name tag for Palestine.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">How can peace be discussed without the participation of the people living under occupation?<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">How can the focus be on disarming Gaza while ignoring the ongoing occupation and military operations?<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">A real peace process must address the root cause of the conflict. Ending violence cannot mean only removing weapons from one side while leaving the political reality unchanged.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Absence of Europe<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Many major European countries did not attend the first meeting. This absence was not just symbolic. It reflects concerns that the initiative bypasses international institutions and may conflict with established international positions on Palestine.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">There are also fears that such a board could reduce Europe&rsquo;s political role in the Palestinian \/ Israeli conflict while asking for financial contributions for reconstruction.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Although European caution may seem positive, it does not remove their historical and political responsibility for what is happening in Gaza.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Realism vs. Justice<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Some argue that this board represents a &ldquo;practical transition phase&rdquo;. They say the alternative could be renewed war or a long-term Israeli military administration in Gaza. They speak about realistic needs: temporary housing, jobs, unified police forces, and a minimum level of normal life.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">These are important needs. People in Gaza desperately need stability and services.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">But realism should not mean ignoring international law. It should not mean turning a humanitarian disaster into an opportunity to impose political arrangements without broad agreement.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">True security protects people&hellip; it does not simply reorganize power structures.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Any reconstruction or security reform must come from Palestinian consensus and operate within clear international legal frameworks.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Gaza as a test for the world<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Gaza today is not just another headline. It is a moral test for the international system.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">United Nations officials have repeatedly warned about the catastrophic humanitarian situation: families displaced many times, winter without electricity, severe shortages of water and medical care, and children dying while waiting for medical evacuation.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Any board of peace that does not put civilian protection and an immediate end to violations at the center of its agenda cannot truly be called a board of peace.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">So, Gaza needs a new political path. No one denies that.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">But peace cannot be built outside international legitimacy. It cannot succeed without Palestinian representation. And it cannot reduce the conflict to a security issue while ignoring the deeper political reality.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">The real question is simple:<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Do we want a just settlement based on international law?<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Or temporary arrangements based on power politics?<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">Gaza does not need a board that carries the word &ldquo;peace&rdquo;.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">It needs justice before reconstruction&hellip; and law that protects people before plans that redesign the territory. Gazans want the world to treat them as human beings who live in the same planet.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\r\n\r\n<p><span style=\"font-size:16px;\">-Tamer Ajrami is a student of political science living in Belgium. His article appeared in MEMO.<\/span><\/p>\r\n\r\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","content_source":"","content_url":"","content_date_start":"2026-02-25 10:00:45","content_date_event":"2026-02-25 10:00:45","content_date_event_start":null,"content_date_event_end":null,"content_show_title_slider":1,"content_date_last_edit":"2026-02-25 10:04:41","content_date_register":"2026-02-25 10:04:41","content_columns":0,"content_show_img":1,"content_show_details":0,"content_show_related_img":0,"content_show_slider":1,"content_comment":1,"content_score":0,"tag_id":0,"score_average":null,"score_count":null,"score_date_last":null,"uid":43,"eid":0,"attach_title":"Why Trump’s Board of Peace does not help Gaza?","attaches":[{"sizes":{"150":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420_150_100.webp","300":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420_300_200.webp","400":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420_400_267.webp","600":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420_600_400.webp","900":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420_900_600.webp","1200":".\/cache\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420_1024_683.jpg"},"ext":"jpg","file_media":1,"token":1399839420,"files":{"original":{"url":".\/file\/2\/attach\/202602\/566547_1399839420.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"size":0}}}]}]]