Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has declined a White House request for President Isaac Herzog to attend the launch ceremony of U.S. President Donald Trump’s newly formed Board of Peace, diplomatic sources say, underscoring ongoing strategic differences between Jerusalem and Washington over the initiative.

The ceremony, scheduled for Thursday in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, is seen by the White House as a key milestone in advancing the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire agreement and demonstrating broad international backing for the Trump-led peace effort.

U.S. officials reportedly urged that Israel be represented on stage by its head of state alongside leaders from other invited nations, signalling unified support for the Board of Peace.

According to sources familiar with the discussions, several phone calls took place between senior White House representatives and Netanyahu’s office, but the prime minister ultimately rejected the idea of Herzog’s attendance, insisting that the invitation was directed personally at him and not transferable.

Netanyahu’s decision means that Israel was absent from the inaugural event, even though it had received an invitation.

Netanyahu did not travel to Davos, in part due to a standing International Criminal Court arrest warrant that could have exposed him to detention in Switzerland, a country obliged to cooperate with the Hague tribunal’s orders.

President Herzog was present at the forum but did not take part in the launch ceremony.

Despite the disagreement, the White House chose not to escalate the matter publicly or diplomatically, with all principal offices — Netanyahu’s, Herzog’s and the White House — declining to comment.

The Board of Peace, championed by Trump as a vehicle for implementing the Gaza ceasefire’s next phase and possibly broader conflict resolution efforts, has drawn mixed reactions internationally.

Several nations have accepted invitations to participate, while others have withheld their response or declined, and concerns linger about the body’s mandate, relationship to existing institutions such as the United Nations, and the balance of influence among member states.

Israel’s absence from the Davos launch highlights the nuanced diplomatic calculus at play as the initiative unfolds.