Vatican says it will not participate in Trump s Board of Peace

The Vatican has announced that it will not join U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace” initiative. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s leading diplomatic official, made this statement on Tuesday. He emphasized that the United Nations should handle crisis situations, not individual countries. In January, Pope Leo, who is the first pope from the U.S. and has criticized some of Trump’s policies, was invited to be part of the board. This board was created following Trump’s Gaza plan, which resulted in a fragile ceasefire in October, and is intended to oversee temporary governance in Gaza. Trump later stated that he would expand the board, which he chairs, to address conflicts worldwide. The first meeting of the board is scheduled for Thursday in Washington, where members will discuss rebuilding Gaza. Italy and the European Union have indicated they will attend as observers but will not join the board. Parolin expressed that the Holy See will not take part in the Board of Peace due to its unique nature, which differs from that of other nations. He added that “one concern” is that the UN should primarily manage these crises on an international level, which the Vatican has stressed. Many human rights experts have pointed out that Trump leading a board overseeing a foreign area’s affairs resembles a colonial setup. The board, which started last month, has also been criticized for not including a Palestinian representative. Countries have reacted carefully to Trump’s invitation, with worries that the board might weaken the UN's role. Some of Washington’s Middle Eastern allies are participating, but many Western allies have not joined. Since the ceasefire began in October, there have been multiple violations, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers.