ROME: Italian Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti said on Wednesday it appeared problematic for his country to join the so-called Board of Peace promoted by US President Donald Trump to govern Gaza.
Speaking at an event in Rome to present the Winter Olympics Italy is hosting next month, Giorgetti said that judging from news reports he had read “it seems there are some problems” regarding Rome’s participation in Trump’s initiative.
Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported earlier on Wednesday that Italy would not take part, citing concern that joining a group led by a single country’s leader would violate the constitution.
The proposed board would be chaired for life by Trump and start by addressing the Gaza conflict before expanding to other crises. Member countries would be required to pay a $1 billion fee each to earn permanent membership.
Trump’s plan has so far drawn cautious reactions from Western allies, as diplomats say it could undermine the work of the United Nations.
On Thursday, Trump is due to preside over a ceremony celebrating the new group in Davos, Switzerland, site of the World Economic Forum.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a right-wing leader who has had warm relations with Trump, is unlikely to go to Davos, a source told Reuters.
The Italian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Corriere report.
According to Italy’s constitution, Italy may join international organizations that ensure “peace and justice among nations” only “on equal terms with other states,” a condition incompatible with US primacy on the new board, Corriere said.
The newspaper did not cite a source for its report.
Invitations to join the board have been addressed to some 60 nations. Only a few, including Hungary, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan, have so far accepted without reservations.
Adding to concern among Western allies, the Kremlin said this week that Russian President Vladimir Putin had also been invited.
Italian role in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ seems problematic, minister says
https://arab.news/rky7b
Italian role in Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ seems problematic, minister says
- Giorgetti said that judging from news reports he had read “it seems there are some problems”
- Italy may join international organizations that ensure “peace and justice among nations” only “on equal terms with other states“
Pull him off TV: Steve Bannon shuts down Sen. Lindsey Graham
- Trump’s former chief strategist called for the senator to be registered as a foreign agent
DUBAI: Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon called on Tuesday for US Senator Lindsey Graham to be registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli government, escalating a growing conservative backlash against the senator’s vocal support for Israel.
Speaking on his podcast “War Room,” Bannon said Graham should be “pulled off of television,” adding: "This is dangerous… because you have guys like Lindsey Graham and dozens more that are doing the wrong thing.”
In a Fox News interview on Monday, Graham said: “To all the antisemites, to all the isolationists… I’m not with you, I’m with Israel, I will be with Israel to our dying day.”
Graham also urged Gulf Arab states to join military action against Iran. “What I want you to do in the Middle East, to our friends in Saudi Arabia and other places, [is] step forward and say, ‘this is my fight too, I join America, I’m publicly involved in bringing this regime down,’” he said.
In a post on X, Graham questioned the value of a US defense agreement with Saudi Arabia following the evacuation of the American embassy in Riyadh, writing: “Why should America do a defense agreement with a country like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that is unwilling to join a fight of mutual interest?”
Faisal Abbas, editor-in-chief of Arab News, responded to Graham’s comments in a Sky News interview, saying: “He flip flops so much, it’s actually entertaining.”
“On one hand, he says he will never set foot in Saudi Arabia. The next day, he’s here signing multimillion-dollar deals.”
“I don’t think anyone here takes him seriously,” Abbas added.
He warned Graham to be careful what he wished for: “Do you really want Saudi Arabia involved in this war putting our oil facilities at risk or do you want us stabilizing the energy markets?”
Graham pressed further, warning that inaction would carry a price. “Hopefully Gulf Cooperation Council countries will get more involved as this fight is in their backyard. If you are not willing to use your military now, when are you willing to use it?”
“Hopefully this changes soon. If not, consequences will follow.”
Graham's remarks drew sharp criticism from Bannon and others including podcast host Megyn Kelly.
She questioned on X whether Graham was overstepping his authority as a senator, writing: “When did Lindsay Graham become our president?”
Kelly also said Graham had threatened Lebanon, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, the wider Arab region, and Spain within a 24-hour period.
The problem with Graham “isn’t (just) that he’s a homicidal maniac, it’s that Trump likes and is listening to him,” she said in another post.
