TNA Staff
The New Arab / January 25, 2026
Netanyahu reportedly rejected several White House invitations asking Herzog to attend the board’s unveiling, insisting that they were meant for him instead.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears to have barred President Isaac Herzog from appearing at Donald Trump’s [so-called] ‘Board of Peace’ unveiling in Davos earlier this week, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum conference.
According to US news site Axios, citing American sources, Netanyahu rejected multiple White House invitations for Herzog to participate in the board’s launch ceremony in Switzerland, vetoing the Israeli president’s participation.
According to the sources, the US wanted to have a senior Israeli official on stage with the Arab and Muslim leaders in Davos, in a bid to show that Trump’s Gaza peace plan was supported by “both sides”.
Israel had the option to be represented by the official head of state, who is Herzog, or a representative. The Israeli premier argued that the invitations were extended to him personally by Trump. Netanyahu, however, did not attend the ceremony reportedly over fears he would be arrested in Switzerland due to the arrest warrant issued for him by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes in Gaza.
The arrest warrant was issued in November 2024 against the premier and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza during Israel’s vicious military campaign, which has killed over 71,000 Palestinians since October 2023.
Herzog’s absence, however, made it seem that Israel was not 100 percent in agreement with the ‘Board of Peace’, the sources added.
Axios reported that phone calls between the White House and Netanyahu prior to the meeting in Davos were “tense and difficult,” and they had hoped a solution would be found to allow Herzog to attend – though to no avail, as Netanyahu insisted on rejecting their request.
On Thursday, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, Trump signed off on the establishment of the so-called Board of Peace, presented as Phase Two of his peace plan for the Gaza Strip, which is designed to aid the war-battered territory’s reconstruction.
Trump invited multiple countries to become members of the board, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Morocco, as well as the UAE, Pakistan and Indonesia.
Several other nations and entities did not respond to Trump’s invitation prior to the inaugural meeting on Thursday, including the European Union, while some countries in the bloc, namely France, the UK, Spain, Germany and Italy, declined Trump’s request.
The US President withdrew an invitation for Canada, after Prime Minister Mark Carney said Ottawa would not pay for membership – a fee believed to amount to $1 billion.
A total of 58 countries received such invitations, including Israel.
The board’s formation has sparked criticism, with some leaders expressing concern that the ‘Board of Peace’ may seek to usurp organisations such as the UN, with Trump placing himself at the front and centre of solving global issues and conflicts.
It has also been condemned by Palestinians for including Israel, due the war unleashed onto the enclave, which has been officially labelled as a genocide by the UN, experts and several rights groups.
Meanwhile, Trump’s top envoy, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, arrived in Israel on Saturday for talks on Gaza with Netanyahu.
According to a US official, the talks are being held to “determine what the right next steps are, so that we can keep the ceasefire and turn it into a long and enduring peace in Gaza”.
