Switzerland has been invited by the USA to join the charter of the so-called “Board of Peace” as a member country.
01/20/2026, 03:5001/20/2026, 03:50
Bojan Stula, Stefan Bühler / ch media
US President Donald Trump is looking for international support for his peace plan in the Gaza Strip – and is also thinking of Switzerland. As the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (EDA) confirmed at the request of CH Media, Switzerland has received an invitation to join the so-called “Board of Peace”.
Donald Trump presents Switzerland with a difficult decision.Image: keystone
It is questionable, however, whether Bern will follow the American initiative. Although Switzerland is fundamentally open to initiatives to promote peace, the FDFA must examine the proposal “carefully”. First, discussions with affected actors should clarify whether and in what form Switzerland can get involved, explains EDA spokeswoman Mélanie Gugelmann.
The FDFA also leaves it open whether Switzerland would be willing to pay the “accession fee” of one billion dollars demanded by Donald Trump if it were to join US portal Bloomberg News reported first. It says that you can join the Gaza Board without paying a fee worth billions Founding charterbut only for a limited period of three years.
The initiative is part of a series of US initiatives to reorganize politics in the Middle East. As early as November 2025, the Federal Council decided on concrete measures to support the “Gaza Peace Plan for Peace in the Middle East” presented by the USA. The state government relied on humanitarian aid, the expansion of Palestinian institutions and contributions to regional stability.
France politely declines
The current invitation to the “Board of Peace” now presents Switzerland with another delicate balancing act: on the one hand, promoting peace is part of the country’s foreign policy DNA, and on the other hand, Trump’s foreign policy agenda is internationally controversial. The fact that Kremlin ruler Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are among those asked – according to information from Washington, Trump’s invitation went out to around 60 nations – does not make matters any easier.
There are few encouraging signals from abroad in this regard. The Élysée Palace confirmed on Monday that it had also been invited. “At this point in time, however, France does not intend to accept the offer,” said a statement from President Emmanuel Macron’s entourage, which was quoted by the German Press Agency. The anger among Trump’s NATO partners over the deliberately provoked Greenland conflict is obviously too great for them to be willing to provide the USA with support elsewhere. As of Monday evening, only Hungary and Vietnam had confirmed their participation.
Trump’s peace plan for Gaza calls for the formation of a “Peace Council” after the ceasefire. This body is intended to oversee a transitional government for the destroyed coastal area and provide peace-promoting reconstruction assistance. The White House released it at the end of last week in a statement the basic organizational features: The US President himself will be in charge of an “Executive Board”. This also includes Trump’s close confidants such as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner. But also former British Prime Minister Tony Blair “as an internationally experienced” and “diplomatically skilled” statesman. Equally noteworthy: Trump’s “Executive Board” for Gaza has so far been an all-male group. (aargauerzeitung.ch)