Board of Peace Hires Greenspan

Shelley Greenspan has been appointed to a senior position at the Board of Peace to lead congressional outreach, specifically targeting Democratic lawmakers. She begins her role next week under senior advisers Josh Gruenbaum and Aryeh Lightstone. The appointment is part of a coordinated effort to build bipartisan support for President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan and the board’s operations.

Greenspan previously served as President Joe Biden’s liaison to the Jewish community. Her career includes research work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, policy roles at AIPAC, and management positions at Amazon. She also held positions at the State Department and the National Security Council focusing on global partnerships.

The Trump administration aims to ensure the Gaza peace plan and the Board of Peace survive a potential change in party control. The goal is to secure legislative backing that would encourage a future Democratic president, potentially elected in 2028, to continue implementing the plan. This strategy reflects lessons from the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states.

After the 2021 transition, the Biden administration paused efforts to advance new normalization agreements. It was not until June 2023 that Antony Blinken appointed Dan Shapiro as a special envoy to expand those accords. The current outreach effort seeks to avoid a similar pause in momentum for the Gaza initiative.

Prominent Democrats have recently voiced support for the peace plan. Former ambassador Jack Lew, former Biden adviser Brett McGurk, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have all expressed backing. Clinton wrote in the Financial Times that the plan is the only framework with sufficient leverage and resources to move parties toward implementation.

Greenspan said she was honored to join the board during a consequential time. She noted that her work at the State Department allowed her to see how the 20-point plan could deliver tangible results for Gaza and Israel. The Board of Peace stated that Greenspan brings deep experience working across the aisle, having earned trust in both Democratic and Republican administrations.

The board emphasized that sustained bipartisan support from Congress is essential for the work ahead. They described Greenspan as uniquely capable of leading this effort. Her background in technology and government policy positions her to manage the complex legislative relationships required for the plan’s success.

Greenspan’s appointment follows a period where the administration sought to solidify the political base for the $14 billion reconstruction fund. The focus now shifts to securing votes from key committees in both chambers of Congress before the next session.