Report: Tony Blair Dropped from Trump’s Gaza Plan amid Regional Objections
NEWS
A Financial Times investigation says regional opposition has pushed Tony Blair out of Trump’s proposed Gaza “board of peace,” with the plan’s wider governance structure still largely undefined.
A new Financial Times investigation revealed that former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has been removed from consideration for US President Donald Trump’s proposed “board of peace” for Gaza, following objections from “several Arab and Muslim states,” according to people familiar with the discussions.
Blair had been the only publicly identified candidate when Trump unveiled his 20-point postwar plan for Gaza in late September. Trump described him at the time as “a very good man,” and Blair praised the proposal as “bold and intelligent,” signaling his willingness to join the board, the FT said.
However, according to the report, multiple Arab and Muslim states opposed Blair’s appointment, partly due to “the damage to his reputation in the Middle East caused by his staunch support for the US-led 2003 invasion of Iraq.” There were also concerns, FT added, that Palestinians would be marginalized in the proposed governance structure.
Blair’s office reportedly declined to comment to the newspaper, but an unnamed ally rejected the notion that he was removed due to regional objections. According to this ally, the board “will be made up of serving world leaders” and Blair “did not qualify” as a former prime minister.
However, Trump himself acknowledged in October that Blair’s role might face opposition. “I’ve always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he’s an acceptable choice to everybody,” he said, according to the report.
The FT further reported that the postwar governance plan for Gaza has been quietly reconfigured in recent weeks. According to two sources briefed on the preparations, the emerging executive committee will be led by former UN envoy and Bulgarian defense minister Nickolay Mladenov.
This executive committee—an element not originally included in Trump’s plan—is expected to “co-ordinate between the board of peace and a Palestinian technocratic committee,” the newspaper writes, according to the report.
The paper noted that Blair had been developing Gaza proposals “for more than a year” through the Tony Blair Institute, coordinating with Kushner and others aligned with the Trump administration.
The report stressed that the broader governance and security plan remains largely undefined.
No government has publicly committed to joining the international stabilization force envisioned in the proposal, and there is “no clarity over its mandate, size and command structure,” diplomats told the newspaper.
It also remains unclear how Hamas is to be disarmed. According to the report, Hamas “has so far resisted any moves to disarm,” despite Trump’s stipulations as part of the ceasefire deal he announced more than two months ago.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
An end to The Blair Bitch Project, what a shame. The bastard should have been on the chopping board a long time ago - the blood-sucking, murderous leech.
In my opinion it’s at least one positive - not a single good thing would come from his involvement.