Has peace become a commodity to be bought and sold

By Hind Al-Hawari

In a world changing at breakneck speed, where borders are blurring and concepts are shifting, the Gaza Peace Council emerges as a novel idea, carrying within it a new chapter in history. It was proposed by US President Donald Trump to end the brutal war that raged for nearly two years, a period that felt like an eternity to the people of Gaza, to rebuild what was destroyed, and to halt the killing machine that claimed innocent lives. The idea has since evolved into something resembling a model for resolving international conflicts, raising questions about the role of the Security Council and the United Nations.

But is this idea the beginning of a new deal?

Will Gaza become a winning card in the global power game?

On the ruins of Gaza, presidents are meeting, with US President Donald Trump at the head of the table, in a new power game where concepts are changing and roles are being reversed. The Palestinian cause is no longer a national issue, but rather an economic project, and support no longer means aid, but rather management and control.

Thirty-five heads of state and world leaders, mostly from the Middle East, announced their participation in the Peace Council out of fifty invitations sent. However, some countries declined the invitation, and others rejected the council altogether, such as France, Norway, and Sweden. These countries raised questions about the council’s operational mechanisms and its cooperation with the United Nations. It’s also worth noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among the invitees, but according to Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, Netanyahu was unable to attend due to fears of arrest in Switzerland under an International Criminal Court warrant.

The new council, whose initiatory ceremony took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was notably absent of Palestinian leaders; they were not even invited, raising questions about their role in the decision-making process.

Will the Palestinians be able to achieve their goals in the absence of such representation?

Will Trump’s Peace Council become the base of a new world order?

The strange thing is that the new council uses a logo like the United Nations logo—Olive branches—but these do not represent the entire world, only America and its new allies.

Is this the new world order?

Has peace become a commodity?