While taking a little scroll through some of my earlier blog posts this morning, I happened upon one from February 2nd of this year concerning the establishment of Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace.” And I wondered why we haven’t heard anything from them since then. So, of course, I went fishing . . . and it turns out that there was an update just this week. (I still don’t think I’m psychic, but . . . )

You may recall that this organization was initially promoted as a means of settling conflicts throughout the world, beginning with Gaza — a sort of alternative United Nations. Trump, of course, would be chairman for life, with unrestricted veto power over the Board’s decisions, including the choice of his successor. A permanent seat on the Board could be obtained by eligible countries for a mere $1 billion (or more, if one was feeling generous). It wasn’t immediately clear what the money would be used for, though presumably the chairman would let everyone know in due time.

A number of countries immediately applied for membership, reportedly pledging a total of $17 billion. These predictably consisted mainly of autocratic regimes, such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Turkey, Belarus, Kosovo, and Uzbekistan. Vladimir Putin said he might consider membership, though he was holding out for the release of some frozen Russian assets to cover the $1 billion fee.

Those who promptly said “thanks but no thanks” included Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, the U.K., and Ukraine. No surprises there, either, as Trump has not particularly endeared himself to our traditional allies since reclaiming occupancy of the Oval Office.

You should note that the initial $17 billion consisted of pledges, and not cold, up-front cash payments. Now — and this is the reason for the sudden flurry of news items — it appears that those pledges may not have been engraved in stone, or set within a specific time period. Because, though he vehemently denies it, Trump may be facing a cash crunch.

He calls it a “funding gap,” saying that the Board is an “execution-focused organisation that calls capital as needed . . . [and that there] are no funding constraints.” [Emma Farge and Alexander Cornwell, Reuters, May 19, 2026.]

That’s a nice way of saying that only a small portion of the pledged funding has actually been received. And now Trump is calling for “faster disbursement of funding pledges” to cover his proposed $70 billion — yes, that’s $70 billion, not a mere $17B — plan to end the war in Gaza and to rebuild the territory.

And there it is: “ . . . to rebuild the territory.”

This is something the United Nations is not equipped to do. While it does assist with recovery in war-affected areas such as Gaza, it is not a bank; instead, it coordinates with the World Bank and other entities to assess damages and fund the immediate needs of recovery, such as clearing rubble and restoring basic health and water services. The U.N. also relies on agencies like the UNDP, UNHCR and UNICEF to provide humanitarian aid, temporary housing, and financial opportunities to people in war-torn regions.

It does not build high-end resorts and commercial/residential communities.

But that is precisely what Donald Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner have in mind.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January of this year, Kushner described a plan that begins with a “coastal tourism” zone to include up to 180 skyscrapers, many of which would likely be hotels. A residential zone would consist of high-end homes and apartments. He envisioned a new Dubai: another Middle Eastern playground for the rich and infamous. And he said:

“We have a masterplan. . . . There is no Plan B. If Hamas does not demilitarize, that will be what holds back the people of Gaza from achieving their aspirations.” [Andrew Carey , CNN, January 22, 2026.]

I hardly think the wounded, homeless, starving people of Gaza are really dreaming of a “new Dubai” to replace their former homes and rebuild their shattered lives. That is the dream of a family of billionaires looking for their next billion in profits from the sale and operation of those skyscrapers and apartments.

Kushner did go on to describe his proposed provision for the current residents of Gaza: an area called “New Rafah,” which would offer more than 100,000 permanent housing units, plus schools and medical facilities. But he didn’t explain what would happen to the rest of the estimated 2,000,000 displaced persons currently living in the Gaza Strip, nearly half of whom remain in the devastated northern region. Nor did he offer a plan for temporary accommodations while his “new Dubai” is under construction.

*. *. *

I wonder whether the delay in fulfilling their pledges is due to Trump’s friends’ awakening to the fact that what they signed onto was not a peacekeeping mission at all, but another Trump-branded scheme to further enrich himself and his family, and to gain a foothold in yet another part of the world.

Ask yourself this: Would you invest any sum of money in a start-up organization created by, and under the sole control of, someone with this man’s record?

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/19/26