Arab and Muslim states reject former UK PM Tony Blair for ‘Board of Peace’ over support for Iraq war

Trump had introduced the idea of a “board of peace” when outlining his 20-point Gaza plan in late September, naming Blair as the only identifiable member at the time.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Tony Blair will not join the council that President Donald Trump proposed to guide Gaza’s postwar administration, according to people briefed on the latest planning.

His removal from consideration follows objections raised by several Arab and Muslim governments that questioned whether he would be an acceptable figure for a central role in the project.

Trump had introduced the idea of a “board of peace” when outlining his 20-point Gaza plan in late September, naming Blair as the only identifiable member at the time and calling him “a very good person.”

Blair said then that the initiative was “bold and intelligent” and indicated he was prepared to participate.

That option has now been set aside as regional governments conveyed that his involvement could provoke political resistance, partly due to his backing for the 2003 Iraq invasion and concerns that Palestinians might be pushed to the margins of the new governing structure.

Blair’s team has not commented publicly. One associate, however, dismissed the notion that outside pressure was the reason he would not sit on the council, noting that the main panel is expected to comprise serving heads of state and arguing that Blair’s status as a former prime minister placed him outside its intended composition.

The same associate said he is likely to serve instead on a separate executive group that will include Jared Kushner, Trump adviser Steve Witkoff, and senior officials from Arab and Western governments.

That executive body is expected to coordinate with a Palestinian technocratic committee charged with day-to-day management in Gaza.

According to people familiar with the preparations, the group is to be led by Nickolay Mladenov, the former UN envoy and Bulgarian defense minister.

His role resembles the early drafts that had positioned Blair as a kind of senior executive overseeing the transition after the fighting.

Although Trump has said the shift to the next stage of his plan will happen “pretty soon,” many elements remain unsettled.

No appointments have been announced for the main council, and governments have yet to commit to the international stabilization force that would handle security. Diplomats say key questions remain over the force’s structure, mandate, and size, while Hamas continues to reject disarmament requirements built into the broader ceasefire arrangement.