Gaza peace board hires former Biden aide

Shelley Greenspan, who served as a liaison to the Jewish community during the administration of former President Joe Biden, will begin a new role next week at the Board of Peace. Her appointment is intended to build support for the board and the United States Gaza peace plan among members of both major political parties.

Greenspan will report to senior advisers Josh Gruenbaum and Aryeh Lightstone. Her primary responsibility will be congressional outreach, with a specific focus on engaging Democratic legislators. The Trump administration believes that securing bipartisan approval is necessary to ensure the Gaza initiative survives a change in leadership in 2028.

The administration’s strategy aims to prevent the peace plan from becoming a partisan project. By cultivating relationships with Democrats now, the goal is to encourage a future Democratic president to continue implementing the twenty point plan. This approach mirrors concerns raised after the Abraham Accords were announced in 2020, when the subsequent Biden administration initially paused efforts to expand those regional normalization agreements.

Greenspan brings extensive experience in government and the private sector to the position. She has worked at the State Department, the National Security Council, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Her career also includes management roles at technology firms such as Amazon and a stint on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign research team.

In a statement provided to The Jerusalem Post, Greenspan described the timing as consequential. She noted that during her time at the State Department, she worked to advance peace and prosperity in the Middle East. She stated that she sees how the twenty point plan can deliver tangible results for the peoples of Israel and Gaza.

The Board of Peace highlighted Greenspan’s ability to work across the political divide in its own announcement. The organization said she has earned trust in both Democratic and Republican administrations through her service at the White House, National Security Council, and State Department. The board emphasized that sustained support from Congress is essential for the work ahead.

Support for the current Gaza framework has also come from prominent Democrats outside of the new role. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in the Financial Times that while the plan may not be what many would have drafted, it remains the only framework with sufficient leverage to move the parties toward implementation. Other figures, including former ambassador Jack Lew and former adviser Brett McGurk, have also voiced their backing for the initiative.