Board of Peace Names Shelley Greenspan to Lead Congressional Outreach

Shelley Greenspan will begin working next week as a senior official at the Board of Peace. Her primary task is to build support among Democratic lawmakers in Congress for the board and the administration's Gaza peace plan.

Greenspan previously served as President Joe Biden’s liaison to the Jewish community. She has also held roles at the State Department, the National Security Council, and the American Israel Public Affairs Council.

The administration is pushing for bipartisan backing for the 20-point Gaza peace plan. The goal is to ensure the initiative and the board continue operating effectively even if a Democrat wins the presidency in 2028.

Greenspan will report to Josh Gruenbaum and Aryeh Lightstone, who are senior advisers to the Board of Peace. Her background includes work on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign research team and management positions at technology firms such as Amazon.

In a statement provided to The Jerusalem Post, Greenspan described the appointment as an honor. She said she is looking forward to continuing work on the Middle East peace vision she helped advance during her time at the State Department.

“At the State Department, I worked to advance the President’s vision for peace and prosperity in the Middle East and saw how the President’s 20-Point Plan can tangibly deliver for the peoples of Gaza and Israel,” Greenspan said.

The Board of Peace stated that Greenspan has earned trust across the political aisle. The board noted her experience serving in both Democratic and Republican administrations at the White House, the National Security Council, and the State Department.

The appointment follows a pattern seen in previous diplomatic efforts. After President Trump announced the Abraham Accords in 2020, the Biden administration initially paused new normalization agreements. It was not until June 2023 that Secretary of State Antony Blinken appointed Dan Shapiro to expand those agreements.

Several prominent Democrats have already voiced support for the current Gaza plan. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wrote in the Financial Times that the 20-point plan is the only framework with sufficient leverage and resources to move the parties toward implementation.