First Public Clash With Israel as Trump's Board of Peace Launches
Moments after the new council convened in Davos, a diplomatic rift emerged. PM Ali Shath announced the reopening of the Rafah crossing, but Israel immediately rejected the move: "This won't happen" without the return of Roni Gvili.
The newly established Board of Peace held its opening ceremony in Davos with world leaders in attendance, but it didn't take long for the first public disagreement with Israel to surface.
During his recorded address at the ceremony, technocratic Prime Minister Ali Shath announced that the Rafah crossing will open in both directions next week, a statement made in President Trump's presence that directly contradicts Israel's position.
Israel has made clear that opening the Rafah crossing for Gazans to enter depends on the return of Roni Gvili, an issue where Jerusalem and Washington don't see eye to eye.
A senior Israeli official responded bluntly to the announcement: "This won't happen."
Steve Witkoff spoke after President Trump, saying "the world thought it was impossible, but Trump pulled it off. We achieved a peace deal in Gaza, brought back the hostages, and we'll bring back the last fallen soldier too."
Witkoff thanked the leaders who brought "peace" to the Middle East, making sure to acknowledge Prime Minister Netanyahu, Ron Dermer, and Michael Eisenberg.
President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner addressed tensions between Israel and Turkey, suggesting there's an opportunity to "just sit down and talk" despite the fact that there's no Israeli presence among members of Trump's Peace Council.
The announcement about Rafah crossing represents an early test of Israel's relationship with the new peace framework, with Jerusalem's core security demands potentially being sidelined in favor of broader diplomatic goals.