President Donald Trump on Thursday opened the inaugural meeting of the “Board of Peace” at the United States Institute of Peace in Washington, presenting the new body as a leader-driven effort he says can speed up decisions on Gaza and wider Middle East stability.
“Today is a tremendous honor to welcome you all to the United States Institute of Peace for the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace,” Trump said in remarks. He described the panel as “the most consequential board” in terms of “power” and “prestige,” saying it would bring together “the greatest world leaders.”
Standing before invited guests and board members, Trump framed the moment as a launch of what he described as a high-prestige forum with unusual influence. He said the group’s mission is to bring influential voices into the same room and keep pressure on follow-through, not just statements.
“We work together to ensure the brighter future of Gaza, the Middle East and the entire world,” Trump said.
Trump told the audience the board is anchored by political leaders—particularly from Middle Eastern countries—along with other prominent figures from outside the region. He also highlighted what he described as financial backing tied to the board’s goals.
“I think that the Board of Peace, because it’s mostly leaders and unbelievably respected people, but mostly leaders of Middle Eastern countries, countries from all over the world — and they’ve been very generous with money also,” he said.
The president’s remarks focused heavily on the economics of conflict and the argument that preventing war is far cheaper than fighting one. He said there was “nothing more important than peace,” and argued that war costs “a hundred times” more than peace-building.
The board’s launch comes at a moment when governments and aid groups are debating what a workable “day after” plan for Gaza would look like—how security would be handled, who would govern, how reconstruction money would be monitored, and what conditions would be attached to long-term investment. Trump offered the board as a mechanism to coordinate commitments among countries he says are willing to provide money, political cover, and regional legitimacy.
While the administration has not laid out every operational detail publicly, Trump’s pitch was clear: the Board of Peace is meant to function as a central table for negotiations, funding commitments, and post-conflict planning, with a strong Middle East core but a broader international reach.
Trump ended his opening message with a familiar theme—deal-making—and signaled he expects the board to move quickly from ceremony to concrete steps.
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