Why Tony Blair is Excluded from Managing the Gaza Sector 0 14

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will not hold a key position in Donald Trump's "Peace Council" for Gaza after Arab and Muslim countries opposed his involvement. According to the Financial Times (FT), Blair's candidacy was quietly removed from the list of candidates.

Blair had been the only person whose candidacy for the council was publicly announced when the U.S. president presented his 20-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas at the end of September. Trump called Blair "a very good man."

Reports indicated that Blair was lobbying behind the scenes for his role in the interim administration of Gaza amid leaks of a peace plan partly developed by his Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) in collaboration with Trump's son-in-law and unofficial envoy Jared Kushner.

While Blair's supporters pointed to his role in ending decades of violence in Northern Ireland, critics highlighted his modest achievements in achieving peace in the Middle East.

In the Arab world, Blair was also viewed with skepticism and hostility due to his role in the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.

The plan, which involved TBI, was criticized for lacking clear timelines for the establishment of a Palestinian state. Additionally, it proposed that the Gaza Strip would be governed under a separate legal system from that of the West Bank, raising concerns that the two non-contiguous elements of Palestine risked no longer being regarded as a single political entity.

Acknowledging that Blair remains a controversial figure, Trump stated in October: "I have always liked Tony, but I want to make sure he is an acceptable choice for everyone."

An anonymous U.S. official told the Times of Israel that the news of Blair's withdrawal is "misleading," and that Blair is ready to take a seat on this committee alongside Trump's top aides Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, as well as former UN special envoy for peace in the Middle East Nikolay Mladenov.

A source for the Financial Times suggested that Blair might still play a less significant role in the "Peace Council." "He can still play a role in another capacity, and that seems likely," the source said, adding: "He is liked by both Americans and Israelis."