The Cradle
Trump’s Gaza ‘Peace’ Board raises questions over arms, illegal settlements, and private profit
A Telegraph investigation published on 10 October has raised concerns over potential conflicts of interest within US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace (BoP), the body overseeing plans for ‘post-war Gaza.’
According to the report, several board members are tied to investments linked to Israel’s military industry, illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, and business ventures that could financially benefit from the board’s work.
Critics cited by the newspaper have described the BoP as a “recipe for kleptocratic oligarchy,” arguing that Gaza’s future is being shaped by billionaire investors and real estate interests rather than independent diplomats.
Jared Kushner’s investment firm, Affinity Partners, backed largely by Saudi, Qatari, and Emirati sovereign wealth funds, holds a stake in Phoenix Financial, which invests in Israeli companies linked to the military. Among them is Smart Shooter, whose AI-powered rifle sights, armed drones, and remote-controlled weapons have been used by Israeli occupation forces in Gaza and recently secured a US military contract worth up to $150 million.
Phoenix also finances companies involved in expanding illegal Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including firms listed in the UN database of businesses operating in settlements.
The investigation also highlights broader financial ties between the board’s members and Gulf investment funds, including Qatari backing for both Kushner’s ventures and a new Trump-branded golf resort in Qatar.
Despite these concerns, Kushner and other board members denied any conflicts of interest, insisting their investments are indirect and unrelated to the board’s work.
Board of Peace insiders claim preparations for Gaza’s post-war administration, reconstruction, an international stabilization force, and a new police force are largely complete, with a renewed US push expected after the Israeli elections and US midterm elections.
For many observers, the Board of Peace has come to symbolize a model that intertwines reconstruction with the same political, military, and financial interests that helped sustain the genocide. With the US-backed ceasefire effectively collapsed and nearly 1,500 Palestinians killed since it took effect, the initiative has become less a path to “peace” than a mechanism for entrenching control over Gaza’s reconstruction, resources, and future.
