The key facts
- Shelli Greenspan, a career State Department official and former NSC staffer under Biden, has taken charge of external relations at Trump's Board of Peace.
- The appointment is meant to help win support from Democrats and Republicans for implementing the 20-point Gaza plan.
- Progress on the plan is complicated: Netanyahu is not taking further steps until the parliamentary elections on October 27.
Greenspan's appointment at the Board of Peace
US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace has appointed Shelli Greenspan as head of external relations, Axios reports. Her task is to engage with Congress and Washington think tanks. According to the outlet, the appointment is meant to help secure support from both Democrats and Republicans for implementing the American peace plan for the Gaza Strip; the Board of Peace hopes her experience will enable dialogue with both parties.
Who is Greenspan
Greenspan is a career US State Department official. Under Joe Biden, she worked at the White House National Security Council, was responsible for outreach to the American Jewish community, and held the position of director for partnerships and global engagement. Greenspan herself told Axios that she sees opportunities to improve the lives of residents of Gaza and Israel thanks to the 20-point plan proposed by Trump, and is ready to continue working on its implementation. The appointment of a member of the previous administration's team to a structure promoting Trump's plan is notable precisely in the context of the task of securing bipartisan support — the outlet states this motive outright.
What is slowing the plan's progress
Progress on the initiative is still facing difficulties. According to Axios, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to take further steps in the Gaza Strip until the parliamentary elections on October 27. The Board of Peace expects work to intensify after the vote in Israel and the US congressional midterm elections. The context of these expectations is outlined in a separate Life.ru article: a possible Democratic victory in the congressional midterm elections could constrain Trump's foreign policy — the opposition would be able to push for a revision of military aid to Israel and influence Washington's decisions on Iran, Ukraine, and foreign funding. Thus, Greenspan's appointment, with her connections in Congress and experience working with both parties, is tied to a situation in which the fate of the plan depends on two upcoming votes.
