Tony Blair excluded from Gaza 'board of peace' over Iraq war legacy

Sir Tony Blair will not take a leading role in Gaza's proposed peace council after several Arab states raised objections over his history in the 2003 Iraq invasion, the Financial Times has reported.

The former UK prime minister had initially been linked to Donald Trump's reconstruction plan for Gaza, unveiled in September. However, regional leaders reportedly expressed strong reservations, citing the deep resentment that persists over his decision to take Britain into the US-led war to depose Saddam Hussein.

According to the FT, Blair – now 72 – is being quietly dropped from consideration for a top position but may still be included in a limited or advisory capacity. Until now, he was the only publicly identified frontrunner for the so-called "board of peace."

In October, Trump had signalled openness to Blair's involvement but stressed the need for regional acceptance. "I've always liked Tony, but I want to find out that he's an acceptable choice to everybody," he said. "I want to find out that Tony would be popular with all because I just don't know that."

A source familiar with discussions told the FT that Blair would likely have "a role in a different capacity" – not as central as originally envisioned. "The Americans like him and the Israelis like him," the source said, but Arab and Muslim leaders remain wary because of his Iraq War legacy.

It remains unclear which leaders issued formal objections. Earlier this year, Blair faced intense public and political opposition in Egypt over the possibility of his visiting the country or taking on any role related to Gaza's future.

Kamal Abu Eita, a former Egyptian minister, told The New Arab, "We do not trust Blair at the personal level, a man who is strongly connected with colonial heritage. Egyptians are opposed to all forms of occupation of Gaza, a territory that has to be ruled by its own people only."

Meanwhile, the UAE – previously reported to have paid Blair as a consultant during his tenure as a Middle East peace envoy – has distanced itself from participating in any Gaza stabilisation force at present.

Blair remains a divisive figure both in the Middle East and at home due to the Iraq War. Massive protests erupted in London, Amman, Beirut and Cairo in 2003, and his domestic approval rating plummeted to minus-20. The Chilcot Inquiry later found he overstated the threat posed by Saddam Hussein and noted the war was not used as a "last resort," further damaging his reputation.

Blair left office in 2007 and later served until 2015 as representative to the Quartet overseeing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a role in which Palestinian officials accused him of pro-Israel bias.

His Institute for Global Change also drew criticism after revelations that it continued advising Saudi Arabia following the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.