Overview
- Financial Times reporting says Arab and Muslim governments objected to Blair’s involvement, leading to his quiet removal from consideration for the US-led “board of peace.”
- Blair’s office declined to comment, and an ally said he would not sit on the board, while sources cited by the FT and other outlets suggested he could still take a smaller role.
- Officials quoted by Matzav said Blair is expected to join a leaner executive committee beneath the council, reportedly to be led by former UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov with participation from Jared Kushner and adviser Steve Witkoff.
- No appointments to the board have been officially named more than two months after the plan’s debut, and diplomats say key elements remain unsettled, including a stabilization force for which no nation has publicly pledged troops.
- The plan drew input from the Tony Blair Institute and has faced criticism for lacking a timeline to Palestinian statehood and for proposing a separate legal framework for Gaza than for the West Bank, as reporting also notes a private Blair-Netanyahu meeting in late November.