Middle Eastern leaders including Netanyahu and Sisi line up to join Trump 'Board of Peace'
The leaders of Egypt, Israel and Turkey will participate in US President Donald Trump's "Board of Peace", an initiative that has raised concerns across much of the international community.
Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan followed his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Wednesday in confirming his country would join the body, nominally set up to tackle the war in Gaza and then move on to other crises.
Erdogan told journalists that Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan would represent him at the signing ceremony on Thursday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
A Turkish official told Middle East Eye that they had been informed that the first three years of membership of the board would be free of charge.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said he had accepted an invitation to join.
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"Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that he has accepted US President Donald Trump's invitation and will join as a member of the Board of Peace, which will be composed of leaders of the world," his office said in a statement.
Hungary, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan have also accepted without reservation.
The proposed board, which would be chaired for life by Trump, would require countries to pay a $1bn fee each to earn permanent membership.
Invitations to join the board have been addressed to some 50 nations.
A number of those countries invited are actively involved in conflicts themselves, with the invitation extended to Vladimir Putin provoking particular outrage, while the UN has warned that the board could undermine its own work.
Egypt's foreign ministry said in a statement that it “agrees to accept the invitation after completing the relevant legal and constitutional procedures”.
It added that it appreciated “Trump’s leadership and his commitment to ending the war in Gaza and achieving security, peace and stability in the Middle East”.
Other countries that have confirmed their participation include Bahrain, Armenia, Morocco, Argentina, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.
A source close to Trump told AFP that about 35 leaders around the world had agreed to join its charter so far, out of about 50 invitations that had been sent.
This charter is supposed to come into force when at least “three states” have signed it.
A number of countries have either declined to confirm or outright refused to join the new body.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s entourage said on Monday that his country could not give a "favourable response” to the invitation at this stage, while Norway also said it would not be participating.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that he had received an invitation but "does not imagine" participating alongside Russia. He said it was inconceivable that his country would join if Russia were present.
The UK also expressed apprehension over the potential presence of Russia. It said it was “concerned” by the invitation to the Russian president who “has proven time and again that he is not seriously committed to peace”, though the UK has yet to confirm whether it will join.
Norway will not participate in the "Peace Council" which "raises a certain number of questions", the prime minister's office announced to AFP on Wednesday.
Greenland tensions
On Wednesday, the German government said that Chancellor Friedrich Merz would not attend the signing ceremony for the Board of Peace.
"The chancellor will depart Davos immediately after his Thursday morning speech to attend preliminary talks in Brussels," deputy government spokesman Steffen Meyer announced at a Berlin press conference.
"That means the chancellor will have already left by the time of the ceremony."
Tensions between Europe and the US have been high over the latter's repeated threats to annex Greenland and his jibes at Denmark.
The US president has repeatedly portrayed a takeover of Greenland as necessary for the security of the West against global rivals Russia and China.
Speaking at Davos on Wednesday, Trump said he would not use force in his campaign to gain Greenland.
"I'm seeking immediate negotiations once again to discuss the acquisition of Greenland by the United States," he said.
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