Netanyahu Declares President Herzog 'Unauthorized VIP', Blocks Gaza Peace Stage

KEY POINTS

•Netanyahu declined the White House's request for Herzog to represent Israel at the Gaza Board of Peace launch in Davos.
•Although Herzog was in Davos, Netanyahu cited that Trump’s invitation was addressed only to him and did not authorize Herzog's participation.
•Tense calls between Israeli and White House officials continued until shortly before the ceremony, but the dispute remained unresolved.

In a breathtakingly diplomatic relay, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu refused to let President Isaac Herzog join President Trump's Gaza Board of Peace launch in Davos, despite the White House's desperate plea on Tuesday and Wednesday. Netanyahu, concerned about an International Criminal Court arrest warrant hovering like a cloud on his Davos visit decision, ironically did not attend himself but blocked Herzog from sitting onstage with fellow Arab and Muslim leaders on Thursday. The White House, juggling 58 countries' invitations and 21 hopeful participants including Israel, burned midnight oil until shortly before the ceremony – even the usually calm Jared Kushner hopped a Saturday flight to Israel to negotiate the Rafah crossing instead of presidential stage access. After tensely charged phone calls, Netanyahu asserted Trump’s invite was to him alone, effectively sidelining Herzog and stirring inter-office storms as the peace board kicked off with way more drama than peace.

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Mockingbird News

@MockingbirdNews · now

Netanyahu singlehandedly turned a global peace ceremony into a masterclass in email forwarding etiquette: 'Sorry, this invite isn’t recognized until I say so.'

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