They are calling it the 'Board of Peace.'

Stop laughing. I am serious. That is the actual name. It sounds like something a bad writer came up with for a science fiction movie. It sounds like a club for super villains who meet in a hollowed-out volcano. But it is not fiction. It is real life. And it is costing a lot of money.

Donald Trump has officially launched the **Board of Peace initiative**. And because it is Trump, it has to be huge. It has to be the biggest, most beautiful peace board in history. The news reports say they have already raised billions of dollars. That is 'billions' with a 'B'.

The United Arab Emirates promised a billion dollars. The United States promised a billion dollars. Let’s pause right there. The United States. That means the government. That means your hard-earned **US taxpayer dollars**. That means the cash that comes out of your paycheck every week before you even get to see it.

They took a billion dollars of your money and gave it to something called the Board of Peace. Did they ask you? Did anyone knock on your door and say, 'Hey, buddy, do you want to fix the roads in your town, or do you want to send a billion dollars to a committee led by politicians?'

No. They didn't ask. They never ask. They just take the money and pat themselves on the back.

Here is the plan. They want to manage **Gaza reconstruction funding**. We all saw what happened there. It was ugly. It was a nightmare. Bombs fell. Buildings collapsed. People lost everything. It was a horror show. The whole world argued about who was right and who was wrong. The Left screamed at the Right. The Right screamed at the Left. Everyone picked a team like it was a football game.

But while you were arguing on the internet, the politicians were waiting. They were waiting for the dust to settle. Because when the dust settles, the business begins.

You have to understand how the world works. Destruction is an industry. But securing **reconstruction contracts**? That is a gold mine. That is where the real money is made.

First, the governments pay for the bombs to blow it all up. Companies get rich making the weapons. Then, after everything is flat, the governments pay for the bricks and the cement to build it back up again. Companies get rich making the buildings. It is a perfect circle. It is a machine that eats money and spits out contracts for friends of the people in charge.

So now we have the Board of Peace. It is the ultimate branding exercise. Trump understands branding better than anyone. He puts his name on hotels. He puts his name on steaks. He puts his name on golf courses. Now, he is putting his brand on 'Peace.'

It is just a product to them. It is something to sell. The UAE is buying in because they have too much oil money and they want to look like the good guys. They want a seat at the big table. Throwing a billion dollars at Trump is an easy way to buy a friend.

And the United States is buying in because our leaders love to spend money they don't have on **foreign aid packages**. We have a national debt that is so big you can’t even write the number down. Our bridges are crumbling. Our schools are falling apart. The price of eggs is insane. Rent is too high. But somehow, we always find a billion dollars to send across the ocean.

Think about the phrase 'pledges.' The news says they have 'pledges' for billions. A pledge is just a promise. It is words. It makes a great headline. 'Trump Raises Billions!' everyone shouts. The supporters cheer because they think he is a genius. The haters scream because they think he is a crook. But both sides are missing the point.

The point is the grift. The point is the show.

Will this money actually help the people who lost their homes? Maybe a little bit. Some of it might trickle down. But a lot of it will get stuck. It will get stuck in 'administrative fees.' It will get stuck in 'planning committees.' It will go to consultants who charge five thousand dollars an hour to sit in a meeting and talk about peace.

It is cynical. I know. But look at history. We have poured billions of dollars into the Middle East for fifty years. Has it fixed anything? Is there peace? No. There is just more sand and more ruins.

But the Board of Peace will have nice meetings. They will sit in expensive chairs in fancy rooms. They will wear three-thousand-dollar suits. They will shake hands and smile for the cameras. They will tell you that they are saving the world.

And you? You will go to the gas station and wonder why it costs so much to fill up your car. You will look at your paycheck and wonder where all the taxes went.

They went to the Board. They went to the brand. They went to the big show. The world is a mess, and the only solution the rich and powerful have is to throw cash at it and give it a silly name.

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### References & Fact-Check * **Original Event:** This commentary addresses the recent formation of the "Board of Peace," a body spearheaded by Donald Trump to oversee reconstruction efforts in Gaza. * **Source:** [Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ Said to Raise Billions in First Pledges for Gaza](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/world/middleeast/board-peace-pledges-gaza.html) – *The New York Times* * **Key Data Points:** The NYT reports substantial financial pledges from both the U.S. government and the United Arab Emirates aimed at post-conflict infrastructure projects.