Mandate on the Gaza peace council will be 3 years or lifetime for whoever donates US$1 billion, says agency; Lula was invited

Lula is invited by Trump to join the ‘peace council’ in Gaza Members of the Peace Council for the Gaza Strip that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, announced on Saturday (17) will serve a three-year term or may hold positions for life if they pay US$1 billion (around R$5.37 billion) in cash. The information is in the council’s draft statute, which Reuters news agency had access to. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was invited by Trump to join the council, alongside world leaders and former leaders and members of the US government (read more below). ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp ➡️ The Gaza Peace Council is part of the second phase of the peace agreement for the Palestinian territory, which provides for a transitional government and the end of the war between Israel and Hamas. Also according to the project seen by Reuters, the draft letter sent to around 60 countries by the US government requires members to contribute US$1 billion in cash for their participation to last more than three years. “Each Member State will serve a term of office of a maximum of three years from the entry into force of this Charter, subject to renewal by the president,” the document states, according to Reuters. “The three-year mandate will not apply to Member States that contribute more than US$1 billion in cash funds to the Peace Council in the first year.” On Saturday (17), a report from the Bloomberg news agency mentioned the fee of US$ 1 billion. The White House denied this and stated that there is no minimum membership fee to join the “Peace Council”. “This simply offers permanent membership to partner countries that demonstrate a deep commitment to peace, security and prosperity,” the White House said in a post on the social network X. Trump announced the creation of the council, a key element of the second phase of the Washington-backed plan to end the war in the Palestinian territory. “I can say with certainty that it is the largest and most prestigious council ever gathered at any time and place”, he highlighted, when making the announcement on social media. Lula invited President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) received an invitation from the president of the United States, Donald Trump, to be part of the so-called “peace council” for Gaza. Lula has not yet accepted the invitation. Lula is only expected to evaluate whether or not to accept participating in the council next week, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. Furthermore, the Brazilian government should only officially comment on the American president’s invitation after Lula decides whether or not to accept it. 🌎 Also this Saturday, the president of Argentina, Javier Milei, confirmed that he had been invited. By sharing an image of the invitation letter, Milei wrote on 👉🏽 The other invited members are: American billionaire businessman Marc Rowan and Robert Gabriel, Trump’s assistant who serves on the National Security Council. The American president will preside over the body. According to the White House, the peace council will discuss issues such as “strengthening governance capacity, regional relations, reconstruction, attracting investment, large-scale financing and capital mobilization.” This Friday, the American president also appointed American Major General Jasper Jeffers to direct the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, which will have the mission of maintaining security in the Palestinian territory and training a new police force to succeed Hamas. What is at stake for Lula? President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, during a meeting with the President of the United States, Donald Trump, during the 47th Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations – ASEAN in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia. Ricardo Stuckert/Presidency of the Republic Since the beginning of the conflict, in October 2023, Lula has reiterated criticism of Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip. The Brazilian president defends an immediate ceasefire and the creation of a Palestinian state. The position, recorded in speeches, interviews and demonstrations in international forums, clashes with the invitation made by Trump, a supporter of Israel. This history of statements could place Lula in a delicate diplomatic situation in light of Trump’s invitation. If he accepts to join the peace council, the Brazilian president could be held accountable for being consistent with his criticism of Israel’s role in Gaza, since the initiative is led by the United States, the Israeli government’s main ally. Furthermore, the council is not directly linked to the United Nations (UN), a forum that Brazil usually defends as central for conflict mediation. 👉🏽 On the other hand, a possible refusal of the invitation can also generate diplomatic costs. Trump presides over the collegiate and has sought international support to legitimize the initiative. Lula may displease the North American president by not accepting the invitation – from whom he has been trying to get closer since the tariff negotiations for Brazilian products exported to the USA. Furthermore, sectors of the international community may criticize Brazil if the country refuses to join a forum aimed at rebuilding Gaza, especially given the Brazilian government’s historic speech defending multilateralism, peace and diplomatic mediation.

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