Who is Nikolai Mladenov, the candidate to lead the "Peace Council" in Gaza?

SadaNews - The announcement of the selection of former Bulgarian politician and diplomat Nikolai Mladenov by U.S. President Donald Trump to take up the position of executive director of the "Peace Council in Gaza" was not surprising, as the news was first reported by Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Gaza - before being confirmed later by an American official to the Associated Press.

Mladenov has extensive knowledge and relationships in Israel, aided by his previous professional experiences and supported by his research connections with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, which allowed him to get to know President Donald Trump's inner circle closely.

He also has long experience in managing complex crises and working to alleviate tensions in the Middle East, particularly in Gaza between Hamas and Israel during previous rounds of fighting, including the current round that began with the attacks on October 7, 2023.

This position elevates Mladenov to become the highest executive officer in the new international entity personally headed by Trump to manage Gaza during the next phase of a fragile ceasefire, according to the U.S. president's peace plan, which halted the ongoing Israeli genocide against Gaza for two years that resulted in the martyrdom of over 70,000 people, the destruction of most of the sector's buildings, and the displacement of its more than two million residents.

Mladenov and the Washington Institute

The Washington Institute is considered one of the leading research institutions linked to policy-making in Washington, founded in 1985 from the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobbying organization in the United States.

The Washington Institute does not have any official partisan affiliation, as it has maintained a strong network of relationships with successive administrations from both the Republican and Democratic parties, with many of the institute's researchers serving under various U.S. administrations since its inception.

The Washington Institute's website describes Mladenov as a "distinguished visiting fellow at the Washington Institute, a skilled Bulgarian politician and diplomat, who previously served as the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (2015-2020)."

Political and Diplomatic Career

Mladenov's professional career includes his work as the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister of Defense, as well as being a member of the European Parliament. In 2013, he was appointed representative to Iraq and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq by then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

He took office as the peace process coordinator two years later, where he played a crucial role in helping to calm violence across the border between Israel and Hamas and maintaining the idea of a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It is noteworthy that Mladenov's political career began early when he was elected as a member of the Bulgarian National Assembly for the Democratic Union Party and then as a member of the European Parliament in 2007. His previous efforts and significant contributions to the peace process have earned him the trust of both Israelis and Palestinians.

Bulgaria has historically been known for its neutral positions, a stance that Mladenov adhered to during his tenure as Foreign Minister, which earned him respect in both the Arab world and Israel, and for his efforts in promoting peace, he was awarded the Jerusalem Medal of the Grand Star degree by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in February 2021, one of the highest Palestinian honors given to prominent international figures.

Mladenov's Vision for Gaza

Under the ceasefire agreement signed in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on October 13, it is expected that the Peace Council will oversee a number of sensitive files, including managing a new technocratic Palestinian government, disarming Hamas, deploying an international security force, and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, along with leading and coordinating reconstruction efforts in the sector.

On the occasion of the second anniversary of the October 7 attacks, Mladenov remotely participated on October 10 in a seminar titled "The First Phase in Gaza: Assessments and Implications" organized by the Washington Institute, which included several of its experts and researchers.

In his speech, Mladenov praised President Trump's 20-point plan and Trump's success in exerting U.S. diplomatic pressure to end the war, facilitated by the credibility of U.S. leadership and new support from a broad Arab and Muslim alliance to ensure its success.

Mladenov indicated that the plan not only addresses urgent humanitarian needs but also forms a consensus around the pursuit of a new governance agenda in Gaza within a framework of increased regional participation.

He mentioned that Israel wants to be allowed to operate militarily in areas of Gaza it sees as a threat, similar to its actions in southern Lebanon, and emphasized the importance of establishing an international stabilizing force not in the manner of traditional peacekeeping forces, but rather forces that might have to confront what he called "insurgents."

Mladenov highlighted that Hamas's response to Trump’s initiative ignored Israel's demands for disarmament and extremism and called for the necessity of international community intervention and pressure to ensure the success of the ceasefire agreement.

He presented what he considered the most effective way to prevent Hamas's return, which would be through a Security Council resolution to establish a multinational force with a wider mandate than traditional international peacekeeping efforts.