It Could Happen Here - Gaza and the Board of Peace feat. Dana El Kurd

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Dana breaks down what’s being planned for Gaza, the so-called Board of Peace, and how this is a model for global conflict in the future. Sources: UNOCHA on ceasefire violations - https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/humanitarian-situation-update-353-gaza-strip  BBC on the Yellow Line - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgxl6zkenqo Aljazeera on the 20 point plan - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/16/us-declares-phase-two-of-gaza-ceasefire-but-what-did-phase-one-deliver  The Huffington Post on Putin’s invite - https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-has-invited-vladimir-putin-to-join-his-gaza-board-of-peace-kremlin-says_uk_696e0478e4b0fb912e9948f8?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#Echobox=1768820090  Aljazeera on Board of Peace - https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/18/trumps-board-of-peace-appears-to-seek-wider-mandate-beyond-gaza  Who is Nikolay Mladenov - https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/1/15/who-is-nickolay-mladenov-the-diplomat-tasked-with-disarming-gaza See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed human. Whether it is getting swatted or just hateful messages online, there is a lot of harm and even just reading the comments. That's cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloucester on the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. Every season is a chance to grow. And the Therapy for Black Girls podcast is here to walk with you.

I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, and each week we dive into real conversations that help you move with more clarity and confidence. This episode, we're breaking down what really happens to your information online and how to protect yourself with intention. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know Roll Doll. He thought up Willie Wonka and the BFG.

But did you know he was a spy? In the new podcast, The Secret World of Roll Doll, I'll tell you that story, and much, much more. What? You probably won't believe it either. Was this before? He wrote his stories? It must have been. Okay, I don't think that's true.

I'm telling you. I was a spy. Listen to the secret world of Roll Dahl on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I actually drop better when I'm high. It heightens my senses. It calms me down. If anything, I'm more careful.

Honestly, it just helps me focus. That's probably what the driver who killed a four-year-old told himself. and now he's in prison. You see, no matter what you tell yourself, if you feel different, you drive different. So if you're high, just don't drive. Brought to you by NHTSA and the Ad Council. You know, we always say New Year, New Me,

but real change starts on the inside. It starts with giving your mind and your spirit the same attention you give your goals. Hey, everybody, it's Michelle Williams, host of checking in on the Black Effect podcast, Network. And on my podcast, we talk mental health, healing, growth, and everything you need to step into your next season, whole and empowered. New Year, Real You. Listen to checking in with Michelle Williams from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hello, everyone, and welcome to It Could Happen here. My name is Donna Alpert. I'm a professor of political. science and a researcher of Arab and Palestinian politics.

Since I last recorded an episode, those in power have been very busy. The world looks different from a month ago. What would the assault on Minneapolis, the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro, the, as of this recording, possible invasion of Greenland, it's been hard for even the best of us to keep up. As Nemek from the series Andor would say, the pace of repression outstrips our ability to understand it. And that is the real trick of the imperial thought machine. It's easier to hide behind 40 atrocities than a single incident.

I will never not squeeze in an end or reference when I can. Given that this is the state of the world, what's happening in Palestine has largely slipped out of most people's feeds, and certainly the media headlines. But lots is happening. Lots of dangerous things are happening. and I'm going to take this episode to give an update about what's been going on. Since the ceasefire was announced three months ago, 449 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks,

and another 1,246 have been injured. Over a hundred of those killed were children, according to UNICEF. The Gaza Strip has been reduced even further, with a new, quote, yellow line demarcating where Israeli troops will remain, and where Palestinians are not allowed to go. They literally placed concrete yellow blocks on the ground in Gaza. And as the BBC notes from a report January 16th of this year, Israel continues to push the yellow line further and further into what remains of Gaza.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs notes, quote, the Israeli military remains deployed in over 50% of the Gaza Strip, beyond the Yellow Line, where access to humanitarian facilities and assets, public infrastructure, and agricultural land are either restricted or prohibited. In this context, and despite this context, the Trump administration has declared that phase one of the ceasefire agreement is now over, and that phase two will commence. The US has announced the launch of the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

Special envoy, Steve Whitkoff, shared the news in a social media post, writing that Phase 2 establishes a transitional, technocratic Palestinian administration in Gaza, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza. He also wrote that it begins the full demilitarization and reconstruction of Gaza, primarily the disarmament of all unauthorized personnel. Whitkoff says the US expects Hamas to comply fully with its obligations, including the immediate return of the final deceased hostage, and warns that the failure to do so will bring serious consequences.

Now, this is the declaration, even though, really, aside from the return of Israeli hostages, no part of the 20-point plan that the Trump administration put forward as the, quote, peace plan, was realized on the ground. Aid is being let in, but not at the levels that it's needed. Attacks against Palestinians haven't stopped. Nonetheless, phase two is apparently starting with the naming of members of the Board of Peace. Now, if listeners will recall from a previous episode, Trump declared himself the chair of this Board of Peace

that's supposed to bring peace to the Middle East, and Tony Blair was tapped to run it, much to the outrage of anyone who witnessed Blair's cooperation and the destruction of Iraq. Now, this Board of Peace is going to run the Gaza Strip and it's quote-unquote technocratic government, and it's going to make sure Hamas de-militarizes and that Palestinians don't step out of line.

The Board of Peace is one aspect of the Great Plan, great standing for Gaza Reconstitution, economic acceleration, and transformation plan, a plan that apparently will turn Gaza into the quote, Riviera of the Middle East. The Huffington Post reported January 17th that Trump is setting a billion-dollar price tag for any country that wants to participate on this board.

Members so far include Tony Blair, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, son-in-law, Jared Kushner, U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Whitkoff, Mark Rowan, the CEO of Apollo Global Management, Israeli billionaire Yakir Gabay, and a number of others along the same vein. Among those Trump has invited include Vladimir Putin,

famously very interested in peace and not at all in eradicating Ukrainian existence. Trump also sent a letter to Victor Orban, far right-wing president of Hungary to join the Board of Peace. Orban has apparently accepted this invitation. To remind listeners, Orban is one of Trump's models for authoritarian takeover of democratic institutions. Orban is also very close ties with Prime Minister Netanyahu and Israel,

despite his anti-Semitic politics. Now, I thought the letter he sent to Orban and to every other right-wing politician he's been inviting was quite telling. in the letter Trump invites Orban to join, presumably with the billion dollar pay to play, and calls the Board of Peace a quote, bold new approach to resolving global conflict. Reuters reporting on this issue quoted an anonymous diplomat saying, it's a Trump United Nations that ignores the fundamentals of the UN Charter.

In fact, the Charter of the Board of Peace doesn't even mention Gaza. So what is this bold new approach to resolve it? global conflict. It's apparently a resolution to conflict that includes a neocolonial oversight board run by white men to make sure the natives don't get too excited. Now, this oversight board is intended to manage conflict, because let's be clear, this isn't about solving conflict, at the expense of the people who have been facing the brunt of this conflict. So we should take them at their word that this is going to be the way that global conflict is going to be resolved from now on. This is the blueprint. Gaza is only the test case. And in this new form of

authoritarian conflict management, the world will operate without any pretensions under the premise of might is right. And if the Gaza reconstitution, economic acceleration and transformation plan is any indication, this plan is predicated on encouraging Palestinians to ultimately leave Gaza, at least some significant segment of them. So not only might is right, but ethnic cleansing is a more than fine way to resolve a dispute. And finally, the plan is predicated on the idea that reconstruction is a business opportunity. So to review, might is right, ethnic cleansing is a okay, and war is a prime real estate development opportunity. The moments that shape us often begin with a simple question, what do I want my life to look like

now? I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford. And on therapy for Black Girl, we create space for honest conversations about identity, relationships, mental health, and the choices that help us grow. As cybersecurity expert, Camille Stewart Gloucester reminds us, we are in a divisive time where our comments are weaponized against us. And so what we find is a lot of black women are standing up and speaking out because they feel the brunt of the pain. Each week, we explore the tools and insights that help you move with purpose, whether you're navigating something new or returning to yourself. If you're ready for thoughtful guidance and grounded support, this is the place for you.

Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know Roll Doll, the writer who thought up Willie Wonka, Matilda, and the BFG. But did you know he was also a spy? Was this before he wrote his stories? It must have been. Our new podcast series, The Secret World of Roll Doll, is a wild journey through the hidden chapters of his extraordinary, controversial life. His job was literally to seduce the wives of powerful Americans.

What? And he was really good at it. You probably won't believe it either. Okay, I don't think that's true. I'm telling you, the guy was a spy. Did you know Dahl got cozy with the Roosevelt's? Played poker with Harry Truman and had a long affair with a congresswoman. And then he took his talents to Hollywood, where he worked alongside Walt Disney and

Alfred Hitchcock before writing a hit James Bond film. How did this secret agent wind up as the most? successful children's author ever, and what darkness from his covert past seeped into the stories we read as kids. The true story is stranger than anything he ever wrote. Listen to the secret world of Roll Dahl on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Like if we're on the air here, and I literally have my contract here, and I'm looking at, you know, as soon as I sign this, I'm going to get a seven-figure check. I've told them I won't be working here in two weeks. From the underground clubs that shaped global music to the pastors and creators who built

the cultural empire. The Atlanta Ears podcast uncovers the stories behind one of the most influential cities in the world. The thing I love about Atlanta is that it's a city of hustlers, man. Each episode explores a different chapter of Atlanta's rise, featuring conversations with Ludacris, Will Packer, Pastor Jamal Bryant, DJ Drama, and more. The full series is available to listen to now. I really just had never experienced anything like what was going on in the city as far as

like, you know, seeing so many young black athletes. and creatives in all walks of life. The church had dwindled almost to nothing. And God said, this is your assignment. And that's like how you know, like, okay, oh, you're from Atlanta for real. I ain't got to say too much. I'm a Grady, baby. Shut up.

Listen to Atlanta is on the I Heart Radio app. Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. The social media trend that's landing some Gen Z years in jail. The progressive media darling whose public meltdown got her fired. I'm going to take Francesco off the network entirely. The massive TikTok. boycott against Target that makes no actual sense. I will continue getting stuff from Target, and I will continue to not pay for it.

And the MAGA influencers, whose trip to the White House ended in embarrassment. So refreshing to have the press secretary after the last few years who's both intelligent and articulation. You won't hear about these online stories in the mainstream media, but you can keep up with them and all the other entertaining and outrageous things happening online in media and in politics with the Brad versus Everyone podcast, hosted by me, Brad Palumbo. the week, I bring you on a wild ride through the most Delulu takes on the

internet, criticizing the extremes of both sides from an independent perspective. Join in on the insanity and listen to the Brad versus Everyone podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now things get even worse when we bring

in the guy who's been tapped to be the director general of this board. Nikolay Mladenov is a Bulgarian politician, an ex-UEN envoy, who has been tasked with, quote, arming Gaza, according to a report by Al Jazeera published January 15th. He's the guy who's going to oversee the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, the technocratic government, which is run by a Palestinian bureaucrats,

and make sure that they stay in line during the reconstruction phase. Somehow these bureaucrats are supposed to reconstruct Gaza while not being able to operate in most of it. Anyway, Mladenov, this guy is really something. He's a Bulgarian diplomat that worked as a minister for one of the most corrupt governments in Bulgaria, a government that faced mass protest pretty persistently. He is part of a right-wing populist party in Bulgaria. His father was also involved in politics, specifically in the Bulgarian virgin of the KGB, before the transition from the communist regime. Since 2021, he's been working in an Emirati institution, the Anwar Gargajh Diplomatic Academy, where he came out as a, quote,

vocal proponent of the Abraham Accords, the normalization agreements between Israel and several Arab states. Now it all checks out, honestly, that this is the guy who's going to be the Director General. The fact that this person is the one being chosen for face two of the ceasefire, and the fact that he has this kind of political background should make clear that the plan for Gaza isn't just a blueprint for the world, new levels of authoritarian conflict management with no pretense, but also part and parcel of the U.S.-Israeli-Imarati vision for the region. Now, this vision is one where Arab authoritarian regimes and Israel, with the U.S. supporting, remake the Middle East into a, quote, modern, developed, tolerant Middle East,

essentially by pouring concrete over graves and building megacities on top of rubble. Their vision of the Middle East is one that is authoritarian and contained, where citizens are subjects. These subjects can have some social freedoms and maybe some accent. economic opportunities, but should never think that they can have an opinion on anything that happens to them. This is a vision where states like the UAE, the United Arab Emirates, can arm militias to conduct ethnic cleansing in Sudan, and Israel can get away with ethnic cleansing in Palestine, because ethnic cleansing and genocide are apparently a perfectly reasonable way of getting rid of undesirables. Now, I'm not saying that this isn't how these states operated even before the genocide in Gaza,

and I'm not saying it wasn't how the U.S. allowed certain allies to operate, even before Trump. Perhaps the writing was on the wall when Palestinians were indefinitely occupied and no one cared. Or when Arzach was ethnically cleansed and Azerbaijan got away with it. President Biden gave his blessing to the destruction of Gaza after October 7th after all. But there used to be a pretense, a pretense of international law and a, quote, liberal international order. There also used to be variation on these issues. This type of authoritarian conflict management wasn't always tolerated. In fact, Arab liberals who advocated for democracy would often say that the U.S. is different from China or Russia,

in that at least it was committed to democracy and international law and human rights rhetorically. Even if there was hypocrisy, they thought that that space between reality and rhetoric could be leveraged and exploited. But now there's nothing to be leveraged. Authoritarian conflict management is the modus operandi of powerful states, and according to Donald Trump's new doctrine, the Don Road doctrine, each powerful state gets to do what it wants in its own sphere of influence. In fact, not only is territorial aggression valid, it's actually the way the world should work.

According to all of Trump's spokespeople and parts of his administration, conquest is totally fine. Here's Stephen Miller on Greenland, for example. Under every understanding of law that has existed about territorial control for 500 years to control a territory, you have to be able to defend a territory, improve a territory, inhabit a territory. Denmark has failed on every single one of these tests. So Gaza is indeed the blueprint for what happens to weaker states in war, or what happens in this case to stateless.

people deemed undesirable and expendable. Now, what are the Palestinians saying about all this? The technocratic government, made up of Palestinian bureaucrats, is saying it's committed to a reconstruction of Gaza that is rooted in, quote, peace, democracy, and justice. The Palestinian authority, the largely illegitimate and undemocratic governance body, that apparently governs the West Bank somehow and represents Palestinians, they're putting out statements welcoming the Board of Peace and Trump's vision. Maybe because they think this will earn them a seat at the table,

or maybe it's a way to sideline their main opposition Hamas in whatever crumbs of Palestine they're allowed to control in the future. Hamas has said in a statement that they also welcome the formation of the administrative committee for the Gaza Strip to quote, achieve calm in Gaza, while noting that they are working with mediators to get to the next stage of the ceasefire and they accuse Israel of trying to break the ceasefire agreement. The Israeli government, ironically, rejects any Palestinian involvement, even at the technocratic level, and have vowed to take it up with their friend Trump.

And the Palestinian people? Well, here is Gaza and journalist Hind Khadaray of Al Jazeera English. And what has been the reaction in Gaza to that announcement of a move to Phase 2? Well, just like you said it, an announcement, a symbolic announcement to Phase 2, Palestinians do not see anything on the ground. There is no change. And despite all of that, we're still hearing drones. As you can hear in the background, we also heard a couple of explosions since the early hours of the morning where demolishings are still going on across the Gaza Strip, especially after the yellow line.

But Palestinians are frustrated. They're very disappointed. They thought that phase two would give them the freedom of movement, that would give them reconstruction of Gaza, would also give them a little bit of what they lost. But on the ground, nothing happened, nothing changed. What we know so far is there are 15 members that have been approved on to be ruling Gaza. But there are a lot of questions and concerns. How is this going to happen?

What is going to happen to the people here? The reconstruction, the ruffaq crossing, thousands who need to get education, and also people who need to travel abroad to either get their, treatment, to reunite with their family. So there's a lot of questions, but mainly there's a lot of frustration because there's nothing changing on the ground. People in Gaza are beyond exhaustion. Everyone wants some path forward out of this nightmare. But I really don't think, for all the reasons I described here today, that this is it. And we shouldn't let them, the Trumps and Orbanes and billionaires of the world. Get away with the narrative, that they're peacemakers, and that

apparently this is all in the name of tolerance and peace. That's it for me today. Thank you for listening, and hope you're all staying safe. It Could Happen Here is a production of Cool Zone Media. For more podcasts from Cool Zone Media, visit our website, coolzonemedia.com, or check us out on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. You can now find sources for It Could Happen here listed directly in episode descriptions. Thanks for listening. Whether it is getting swatted or just hateful messages online, there is a lot of harm and even just reading the comments. That's cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart Gloucester on the Therapy for Black Girls podcast. Every season is a chance to grow. And the Therapy for Black Girls podcast is here to walk with you.

I'm Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, and each week we dive into real conversations that help you move with more clarity and confidence. This episode, we're breaking down what really happens to your information online and how to protect yourself with intention. Listen to Therapy for Black Girls on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. You know Roll Doll. He thought up Willie Wonka and the BFG.

But did you know he was a spy? In the new podcast, The Secret World of Roll Doll, I'll tell you that story, and much, much more. What? You probably won't believe it either. Was this before he wrote his stories? I must have been. Okay, I don't think that's true.

I'm telling you, because I was a spy. Listen to the secret world of Roll Dahl on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The more you listen to your kids, the closer you'll be. So we asked kids, what do you want your parents to hear? I feel sometimes that I'm not listened to. I would just want you to listen to me more often and evaluate situations with me and lead me towards success.

Listening is a form of love. Find resources to help you support your kids and their emotional well-being at Soundedouttogether.org. That's sounded outtogether.org. Brought to you by the Ad Council and Pivotal. You know, we always say New Year, New Me, but real change starts on the inside. It starts with giving your mind and your spirit the same attention you give your goals. Hey, everybody, it's Michelle Williams, host of checking in on the Black Effect Podcast Network.

And on my podcast, we talk mental health, healing, growth, and everything you need to step into your next season, whole and empowered. New Year, Real You. Listen to checking in with Michelle Williams from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.