Board of Peace taps ex-Biden aide for congressional outreach

The Board of Peace has appointed Shelley Greenspan to a senior role focused on building congressional support for President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. Greenspan, who served as a liaison to the Jewish community for former President Joe Biden, will begin her new position next week.

Her primary responsibility will be outreach to Democratic lawmakers. The move is part of a wider strategy to secure bipartisan backing for the 20-point Gaza plan and the Board itself, ensuring the initiatives survive a change in presidential leadership.

Greenspan will report to Josh Gruenbaum and Aryeh Lightstone, senior advisers to the Board. Her background includes work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign research team and management roles at Amazon. She also held policy positions at the State Department and the National Security Council, where she focused on global partnerships.

In a statement, Greenspan said she was honored to join the Board at a consequential time. She noted that during her time at the State Department, she worked to advance the President’s vision for peace and prosperity in the Middle East. She stated that she sees how the 20-Point Plan can tangibly deliver for the peoples of Gaza and Israel.

The administration’s strategy aims to prevent the Gaza plan from becoming a short-lived initiative tied to one administration. By cultivating support from both parties now, the White House seeks to ensure that a future Democratic president, potentially elected in 2028, continues the work.

This approach reflects lessons from the Abraham Accords. In 2020, Trump announced agreements to normalize relations between Israel and several Arab states. However, the Biden administration initially paused efforts to expand those accords after taking office in January 2021. It was not until June 2023 that Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed a special envoy to expand the accords.

Prominent Democrats have already voiced support for the current Gaza plan. Former ambassador Jack Lew, former senior adviser Brett McGurk, and Hillary Clinton have all expressed backing. In a Financial Times article, Clinton wrote that while the 20-point plan was not her preferred draft, it is the only framework with sufficient leverage and resources to move the parties toward implementation.

The Board of Peace cited Greenspan’s experience working across the aisle in its announcement. The group stated that she earned the trust of Democrats and Republicans through her service in both Democratic and Republican administrations. The Board described sustained bipartisan support as essential to the work ahead.