Israel Objects To Gaza Peace Board As France Faces Antisemitism Surge

On January 17, 2026, the complex and fraught intersection of Middle Eastern conflict and European social dynamics took center stage, as two seemingly distant but deeply intertwined stories unfolded. In one, Israel voiced strong objections to the White House’s newly announced “board of peace” for Gaza, a body intended to oversee the war-torn strip’s governance and reconstruction. In the other, French journalist Nora Bussigny’s explosive undercover investigation into the rise of antisemitism on France’s far left continued to reverberate through the country’s political and cultural spheres.

The White House, in a bid to bring stability to Gaza after more than two years of devastating conflict, revealed a high-profile roster for the so-called board of peace. The list of appointees included Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Egyptian president Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, former UK prime minister Tony Blair, and Argentina’s president Javier Milei. Yet, as reported by The Guardian, Israel was quick to register its discontent, stating that some appointments "were not coordinated with Israel and were contrary to its policy." The Israeli government did not specify which leaders it objected to, but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed Foreign Minister to contact U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, signaling the seriousness of Israel’s concerns.

This board is part of former U.S. president Donald Trump’s ambitious 20-point plan to end the Gaza war. Trump himself chairs the seven-member founding executive board, which also includes Rubio, U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and Tony Blair. The group has been described by Trump as “the greatest and most prestigious board ever assembled, at any time, any place.” The board’s mission is nothing short of Herculean: to temporarily govern Gaza in place of Hamas, oversee reconstruction, and shepherd the territory through a transition fraught with uncertainty and peril.

Yet, as The Guardian details, the situation on the ground in Gaza remains dire. Despite a ceasefire announced in October 2025, at least 463 Palestinians have died since the truce, and Israel continues to restrict food and aid into the strip. Most Gazans live in substandard housing, with frayed tents offering scant protection from the winter cold—conditions so harsh that some have died from hypothermia during recent cold snaps. The war’s toll has been staggering: more than 71,000 Palestinians killed and much of Gaza’s infrastructure reduced to rubble by Israeli bombs and bulldozers.

The exact makeup and mandate of the board are still evolving. Two separate bodies have been announced: the "founding executive board," focused on investment and foreign relations, and the "Gaza executive board," which will oversee the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) and manage day-to-day affairs. Tony Blair, in a statement quoted by The Guardian, called the NCAG a “massive step forward” and added, “It gives hope to people in Gaza that they can have a future different from the past, and to the Israelis that they may have a neighbour which does not threaten its security.”

However, not all invitees have confirmed their participation. Both Sisi and Erdoğan have yet to publicly accept their appointments, and the composition of the international security force—another key plank of the ceasefire plan—remains unresolved. Hamas has not committed to disarmament, and Israel has previously objected to Turkey’s involvement in any international force, adding further layers of complexity to an already delicate process.

While the world’s attention remains fixed on Gaza, the repercussions of the conflict are being felt far beyond the region. In France, journalist Nora Bussigny’s recently published book Les Nouveaux Antisémites (The New Antisemites) has ignited fierce debate about the shifting nature of antisemitism in Europe. Bussigny spent a year undercover, infiltrating far-left organizations, feminist protests, and pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Her findings, reported by The Times of Israel, are nothing short of alarming: antisemitism and anti-Zionism have become a unifying force among groups that otherwise disagree on nearly everything else.

“I saw with my own eyes to what degree Islamists, far-left so-called ‘progressive’ militants and feminist, LGBT and ecological activists are closely linked in their shared hatred of Jews and Israel,” Bussigny told The Times of Israel. She described how these groups use coded language—referring to Israel as “the Zionist entity” or “Israhell,” and the Israeli military as “the genocidal army”—to mask classic antisemitic tropes in the guise of anti-Zionism.

Bussigny’s investigation revealed that radical anti-Israel groups such as Urgence Palestine, Palestine Vaincra, and Samidoun (the latter designated a terrorist organization by several countries) receive political support, public funding, and even access to municipal facilities in France. She recounted participating in meetings and demonstrations where glorification of Hamas and calls for “armed resistance” were commonplace, with little regard for the suffering of civilians under Hamas rule.

Her work has not come without personal cost. Bussigny, who is Franco-Moroccan and not Jewish, has faced death threats and a torrent of online abuse, requiring police protection at public events. “Part of this hostility is because I’m Franco-Moroccan, and some people treat me as a traitor to the Palestinian cause and an accomplice of Zionists,” she said. Yet, despite the backlash, her book has become a bestseller, won the 2025 Prix Edgar Faure for best political book, and received widespread acclaim—including from France’s Jewish community, the second largest outside Israel.

Bussigny’s testimony before the French National Assembly’s commission on Islamist movements in October 2025 underscored the gravity of the situation. She warned of the anti-democratic agendas and radicalization strategies at play, particularly among younger voters. Of special concern is Rima Hassan, a Palestinian Syrian-born senior member of the left-wing La France Insoumise party, whom Bussigny credits with radicalizing much of the party and wielding outsized influence among Gen Z voters.

“I worry about what’s happening with Gen Z, those born after 1995, many of whom will be voting for the first time next year in the municipal elections, and then in 2027 in the presidential elections,” Bussigny told The Times of Israel. She noted that anti-Zionism has become a rallying point for a generation that is increasingly active on social media and susceptible to populist messaging.

The rise in antisemitism in France, Bussigny argues, cannot be divorced from the events of October 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led invasion resulted in the slaughter of some 1,200 people in southern Israel and the abduction of 251 hostages. That attack triggered the ongoing war in Gaza and a global spike in antisemitic incidents. Bussigny’s book closes on a somber note, warning, “My concern continues to grow regarding the future marked by the persecution of Jews.”

As the international community grapples with the future of Gaza and the challenge of forging a lasting peace, the battle against antisemitism and extremism in Europe is being waged on a different, but no less critical, front. The stories unfolding in the Middle East and France are a stark reminder that the consequences of war and hatred rarely respect borders, and that the work of reconciliation and vigilance is far from over.