Trump's 'Board of Peace' Discovered: It's Just a Ouija Board
Al Jazeera dutifully relays reactions from Gaza on Donald Trump's latest diplomatic invention, the 'Board of Peace.' The article frames the reaction as 'scepticism and hope' (mostly scepticism, one gathers), highlighting Palestinian concerns that outside decisions often fail to address their lived realities. One might wonder why any Palestinian would harbor 'hope' for a 'peace plan' devised by the
architect of the 'Deal of the Century,' which notoriously gifted nearly all of Jerusalem to Israel and completely bypassed Palestinian leadership. It's a historical pattern, really. Every US administration's 'peace initiative' has either cemented Israeli annexations or offered Palestinians crumbs while demanding capitulation. This isn't a 'surprise' peace offering; it's a rehash of US foreign
policy as dictated by successive administrations, heavily influenced by pro-Israel lobbying groups like AIPAC. For instance, in 2018, Trump signed the Taylor Force Act, which cut aid to Palestinians over payments to families of those killed by Israeli forces—a move that was lauded by AIPAC. The idea that a US president, who moved the US embassy to Jerusalem and cut aid to Palestinian refugees,
would suddenly unveil a genuinely equitable plan stretches credulity beyond the breaking point. The 'Board of Peace' appears to be less about actual justice and more about a photo opportunity on a chess game where Palestinians aren't even allowed to play.