Drama for the Trump Plan
Tony Blair Ousted from Trump’s Gaza Peace Council After Arab Opposition
Former British PM removed from consideration due to previous support for 2003 Iraq War. Blair had previously been Trump's only proposed pick to lead the Gaza "Peace Council."
Tony Blair will not serve as the head of President Donald Trump’s planned “Peace Council” for Gaza, after several Arab and Muslim states objected to his appointment. The Financial Times reported that Blair, the only publicly named candidate when Trump unveiled his twenty-point plan to end the war between Israel and Hamas, was quietly dropped due to his polarizing reputation in the region.
Trump had presented Blair as a valued partner, praising him as “a very good man,” and Blair described the plan as “bold and intelligent,” saying he would gladly serve under a council chaired by Trump. But Blair’s support for the 2003 Iraq War and broader history in the Middle East continue to make him unacceptable to key regional governments, who also expressed concern that Palestinians could be sidelined in the council’s structure.
Trump acknowledged the issue back in October, saying he liked Blair but wanted to be sure any appointment would be “acceptable to everyone.”
Blair’s office declined to comment, but an associate told the Financial Times that he would not sit on the council itself, which is expected to consist of sitting world leaders. Instead, Blair is likely to join a smaller executive committee, working alongside Jared Kushner and Trump adviser Steve Witkoff as well as senior officials from Arab and Western states.
Another figure familiar with the talks said Blair might still receive a different role within Gaza’s future administrative structure. “The Americans like him and the Israelis like him,” the source noted.
The revised plan also includes a new executive body headed by former UN envoy and Bulgarian defense minister Nikolay Mladenov. This committee will coordinate between the Peace Council and a Palestinian technocratic body responsible for day-to-day governance in Gaza.
Much of the post-war framework remains undefined. No country has publicly committed forces to the proposed international stabilization mission, and key details such as mandate and command structure are unresolved. Israel continues to oppose Turkish participation, while Ankara hopes Trump will push Jerusalem to reconsider.
The United Nations Security Council approved a resolution last month endorsing Trump’s plan and granting formal legitimacy to the Peace Council, but assembling a leadership lineup acceptable to all sides has become more complicated with Blair’s removal.