'Board of Peace' lacks legal legitimacy and undermines Palestinian rights, says Malaysian group

KUALA LUMPUR: A group of Malaysian politicians, civil society leaders and academics criticised U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace,” saying it lacks legal legitimacy and undermines Palestinian rights.

In a joint statement, the group said the initiative was designed to consolidate power and promote economic development in Gaza without Palestinian consent, ownership or self-determination.

They objected to Trump’s proposal to chair the body for life and appoint his own successor, saying it would create an unelected, self-perpetuating institution with no democratic mandate or accountability.

The statement said the board’s stated aim of transforming Gaza into a high-end commercial destination risked reducing post-war reconstruction to a real estate project, while excluding Palestinians from decisions about their land and future.

The group cited remarks by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner at the World Economic Forum in Davos as reinforcing concerns that private development would proceed without Palestinian ownership or political rights.

They said the proposal would violate international humanitarian law, including the prohibition on the acquisition of territory by force and the right of peoples to self-determination.

The statement also criticised what it described as endorsement of the initiative by members of the United Nations Security Council, saying no political forum could legitimise land seizure or the exclusion of an occupied population from governing its territory.

Participation by some states appeared to have been secured through economic pressure, including threats of punitive tariffs, the group said.

The signatories added that Palestinian representatives and civil society were not involved in the conception or negotiation of the initiative, and that the proposal failed to address Gaza’s immediate humanitarian needs, including shortages of food, medicine and clean water.

The statement was signed by Nurul Izzah Anwar, Executive Chairperson, POLITY and Honorary Advisor Malaysian Humanitarian Aid and Relief (MAHAR), Charles Santiago, Co-Chair, ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights, Chee Yoke Ling, Executive Director of Third World Network, Prof. Dr. Mohd Afandi Salleh of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, as well as representatives from civil society groups which include Jismi Johari, President, MAHAR, Meenakshi Raman, President,Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and Mohideen Abdul Kader,President, Consumers Association of Penang (CAP).