Ex-UK PM Tony Blair will not oversee a post-war Gaza

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is no longer under consideration to oversee the post-war Gaza Strip, according to a report by the  Middle East Eye via The Financial Times, on December 8th.

Blair was allegedly dropped from consideration following pressure from several Arab and Muslim states, and the current status of the so-called “Board of Peace” remains unclear.

He is a controversial figure in the Middle East, not least because of his government’s involvement in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, which critics argue was a violation of international law.

It was initially reported that Blair would lead the “Board of Peace” as part of the US-backed Gaza ceasefire deal, which stipulated that Hamas would disarm and relinquish power in the enclave.

The ceasefire came into effect on October 10th, but Israel has repeatedly violated the deal’s terms by continuing to bombard the Strip with airstrikes.

Under the ceasefire plans, the “Board of Peace” was envisaged to be a group of billionaires, which would rule a supposedly apolitical committee of Palestinians.

However, the apparent lack of Palestinian involvement in the post-war Gaza government led some critics to brand the plan as a colonial endeavour.

Another figure reportedly under consideration to lead Gaza is Aryeh Lightstone, who served as the senior advisor to former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, who held the ambassador role from 2017 to 2021. Lightstone is now an advisor to the US Middle East Envoy, Steve Witkoff.

Lightstone is reportedly under the supervision of Jared Kushner, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who has proposed that only Israeli-occupied areas of Gaza should be rebuilt.

Both Blair and Kushner have been accused of advocating for the depopulation of Gaza, with Kushner stating in February 2024 that Gaza’s “waterfront property could be very valuable.”

Furthermore, Blair is listed as an honorary patron of the Jewish National Fund (JNF), a charity which has been involved in the forced displacement of Palestinians.

The JNF plays a key role in the funding of illegal Jewish-only settlements, and the charity’s UK arm reportedly donated £1 million to an Israeli militia which operates within the Occupied West Bank.

Meanwhile, the 2024 diary of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed close ties with Blair, with seven meetings between the men taking place.

Middle East Eye via The Financial Times and agencies, Maghrebi.org