Overview
- France formally declined the invitation, with Emmanuel Macron saying the board’s charter goes beyond Gaza and raises serious questions for United Nations principles.
- France’s agriculture minister Annie Genevard called the tariff threat shocking and brutal, and Macron signaled in Davos that Europe could use its anti-coercion instrument if needed.
- The White House says the board is intended to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and governance, with a stated second phase to disarm Hamas and install Palestinian experts under U.S. supervision.
- Invitations went to roughly 60 countries, Vladimir Putin was invited, allies like Javier Milei and Viktor Orbán accepted, and Canada agreed to participate while refusing to pay a reported $1 billion seat fee.
- Trump’s move follows earlier tariff actions and warnings linked to his Greenland push, and any levy on French wine could be consequential as the U.S. imported about $1.75 billion in European sparkling wine in 2023.