White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt criticized the Vatican after it declined to take part in President Donald Trump’s “Gaza Board of Peace.”
In January, Trump sent an invitation to Pope Leo to join the initiative. But on Tuesday, February 17, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomatic official, said the Holy See would not participate.
The Vatican cited the board’s “particular nature” and emphasized that international crises should be handled primarily through the United Nations.
Leavitt responded the next day, calling the decision “deeply unfortunate.” Speaking on Wednesday, February 18, she added that she did not believe peace “should be partisan or political or controversial.”
The administration says Trump will serve as chairman of the Board of Peace, which is expected to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza. Leavitt said the White House wants all invited parties to join and described the effort as focused on rebuilding a territory “plagued with violence, with bloodshed, with poverty for far too long.”
She also claimed the board is a legitimate organization with “tens of member countries from around the world,” and said it was unveiled last month during a ceremony held alongside the World Economic Forum in Davos.
According to the administration, the board’s work will center on a multi-step plan aimed at ending the war in Gaza and supporting reconstruction. Trump has long described himself as a “peace president,” pointing to what he says are past efforts to help end conflicts.
Still, the initiative has drawn criticism, including concerns that no Palestinian is included on the board despite its stated focus on Gaza. Some Western allies have also questioned the idea of the U.S. president overseeing reconstruction in a foreign region.
The Vatican’s refusal comes amid continued friction between Pope Leo and the Trump administration. The Chicago-born pontiff has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s policies, including his foreign policy approach and immigration operations in the United States.
