Dear Friend of Israel, Friend of FLAME:

The Board of Peace that President Trump appointed to forge peace and reconstruction in the Gaza Strip is unlikely to forge peace even within its own controversial membership, let alone in war-torn Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu objects that the security and control over Gaza won by Israel’s defeat of Hamas will be lost at the hands of Trump’s Board of Peace, which includes Hamas sympathizers and outright antagonists of Israel.

About 60 countries, some hostile towards Israel, have been invited to the Trump Board of Peace, and to date, 19, including Israel have accepted. Its Executive Board consists of 12 members, including U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law and advisor Jared Kushner, and several other political, diplomatic and business leaders.

Netanyahu raises three primary objections to the Board of Peace.

1) It includes Hamas sponsors Qatar and Turkey, both of which host leaders of the terrorist group and support it ideologically, morally and financially.

2) Israel lacks veto power, especially over the Board’s actions. Without this, Israel won’t be able exercise authority over crucial issues, such as the timing of Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, demilitarization of the territory, and its future governance.

3) Disarming and ejecting Hamas seems unlikely, despite this being the cornerstone of Trump’s peace plan. Neither Turkey nor Qatar can seriously be trusted—or even want—to disarm the terrorist group they sponsor, and no other country other than Israel has volunteered to this dangerous, necessary work.

In addition to these problems, pacification and reconstruction face major challenges from a continued lack of political stability among the fractured Palestinian factions, the enormous costs and complex logistics of rebuilding a devastated Gaza, and potential conflicts among board members whose priorities clash with the strategic interests of Israel and the United States.

In short, the chances of Trump’s Board succeeding look slim, especially if Israel, the most powerful player on the ground in Gaza, is disenfranchised from the process. The President and his advisor-architects of the Board will likely be forced to rethink the group’s composition . . . or face an embarrassing failure.

Turkey and Qatar want to rebuild Hamas, not destroy it. Thus, having representatives of these countries on the Executive Board compromises Israel’s security.

Both countries espouse the Islamist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood. Both also provide a safe haven for Hamas and finance the terrorist group. For instance, Qatar gave $30 million per month to Hamas between 2012 to 2023, according to a Qatari official.

The two representatives from Qatar and Turkey on the Executive Board are Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and senior Qatari diplomat Ali Al-Thawadi. Fidan has accused Israel of genocide and claims Israel represents the “primary security threat to the Middle East.” He also expressed “deep sorrow” after top Hamas terrorist Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran in July 2024.

Netanyahu fears Qatar’s financial leverage and Turkey’s military ambitions could channel funds or forces in ways that rebuild Hamas infrastructure under the guise of humanitarian aid.

Israel cannot ensure its security without a veto. Netanyahu wants veto power in Trump’s Gaza plan to control key security aspects, particularly the terms and timeline of any Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza, and the demilitarization of the territory.

Netanyahu also wants to guarantee that Gaza’s future governance isn’t determined by Hamas or the Palestinian Authority (PA), both of which he views as hostile. Hence, he wants to prevent threatening developments, such as a return of armed groups or a political settlement that undermines Israel’s security or political priorities. Above all, the Prime Minister wants to ensure Gaza never again poses a threat to the Jewish state.

Trump’s Board won’t disarm Hamas. Though most of Hamas’s military infrastructure has been destroyed, the terrorist group still retains significant capabilities, including thousands of fighters, rockets and much of its tunnel network still intact. Trump promised that Hamas will disarm, most recently saying they would be “blown away” if they don’t. Hamas, however, has continually insisted they won’t disarm. On the contrary, they are doing their best to rearm in the 47% of Gaza they still control.

Certainly, Turkey and Qatar won’t disarm the terrorist group they nurtured, as it would contravene their agenda to destroy Israel and spread the creed of Islamic fundamentalism worldwide. But no other country is willing to disarm Hamas—except Israel.

Rebuilding Gaza is an almost insurmountable task. For starters, the Palestinian leadership is completely fractured, with Hamas in control of Gaza before the war and the Fatah-led PA in control of Palestinian territory in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank). The Palestinians have proven incapable of creating a unified leadership, let alone one willing to make peace with Israel.

Furthermore, rebuilding Gaza will cost an estimated $70 billion, according to an assessment conducted jointly by the UN, the EU and the World Bank. So far, however, formal, large-scale pledges of funding for reconstruction remain minimal and tentative. There are also difficult logistical challenges, including debris removal, infrastructure renewal, and humanitarian aid.

Most importantly, Israel, the U.S. and many donors insist no reconstruction can commence as long as Hamas remains in Gaza.

Trump’s plan requires Israeli cooperation and the removal of Hamas to succeed. Indeed, Israel controls all access to the Gaza Strip. Nothing and no one goes in or out of the territory without Israel’s permission. In fact, as of this writing, Trump can’t even persuade Israel to open the Rafah crossing to Egypt until Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage, is returned, demonstrating the Jewish state’s power to impede his plan if it wants to.

Please make the point when speaking with family, friends, colleagues—or in letters to the editor—that in order to achieve peace and reconstruction in Gaza, Hamas cannot be allowed to exist in any form there. It must be decommissioned, disarmed, disenfranchised, and decapitated. This will require another miracle by Trump—or Israel.

If you agree we need to spread this truth, please use your email browser to forward this Hotline issue to fellow lovers of Israel—and encourage them to join us by subscribing to the Hotline at no charge.

Best regards,
Jason Shvili, Contributing Editor
Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME)

P.S.      Surely you’ve recently read of some celebrity, politician, radical student, foreign head of state or media pundit slander Israel with the “Gaza genocide” lie. Many who spread this lie are ignorant, but most are anti-Israel haters. They care nothing for the truth. The tragedy is, when they utter the Gaza genocide falsehood, too few knowledgeable people—and virtually no media—stand up to refute it. Indeed, when you share the simple facts, the genocide lie crumbles. Upon learning that Israel conducts its war against Hamas terrorists with the highest ethical standards—and that nothing Israel does in Gaza fits the definition of genocide—fair-minded people quickly see through the lie. I hope you’ll agree that we supporters of the Israel-U.S. relationship need to speak out. FLAME’s new hasbarah—explanatory message—“Facts Shatter Gaza Genocide Lies”—describes what genocide is and is not and proves factually that Israel’s tactics in the war are ethical and righteous. It also reveals demographic data showing that the Palestinian population in Gaza is actually increasing. Finally, it notes that those who spread the Gaza genocide lie fit the classic definition of antisemites. Please review this convincing, fact-based editorial, which FLAME is about to publish to millions—in leading social media, as well as in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, Tampa Bay Times, Denver Post and Los Angeles Times. This piece will also be sent to all members of Congress, the President and Vice President. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel’s behalf is critical, I urge you to support us with a donation.