Tony Blair: From warmongering Labour leader to colonial viceroy of Gaza?

The BBC reports, “Former UK Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair has been involved in discussions about leading a post-war transitional authority in Gaza, the BBC understands.” (1)

It’s really pitiful that leader of the British “Labour” Party – including the current xenophobic leader Sir Keir Starmer – accept a “noble” title. It’s kind of a sick joke.

The proposal, which is said to have backing from the White House, would see Blair lead a governing authority supported by the UN and Gulf nations - before handing control back to Palestinians.

His office said he would not support any proposal that displaced the people of Gaza. …

In August, he joined a White House meeting with Trump to discuss plans for the territory, which US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff described as "very comprehensive" - though little else was disclosed about the meeting.

The plans could see Blair head a body named the Gaza International Transitional Authority (Gita), according to reports in the Economist and Israeli media. It would seek a UN mandate to be Gaza's "supreme political and legal authority" for five years.

The plan would be modelled on the international administrations that oversaw East Timor and Kosovo's transitions to statehood. It would initially be based in Egypt, near Gaza's southern border, before entering Gaza once the Strip is stable, alongside a multinational force. [my emphasis]

This sounds like an ugly joke. This and every other cosmetic scam to facilitate Israel’s current project of ethnic cleansing and genocide against the Palestinians is just PR for the murderous project unless and until the United States cuts off all military aid to Israel and the genocide is stopped.

Blair may be a horrible person – what other kind of person would agree to become this kind of smiley-face sponsor for this project? – but he himself is not being bamboozled here. He knows this is a cover-up for a criminal settler colonial project and the inevitable Trump bribery projects that would be connected with it.

Haaretz has posted a copy of the confidential Blair plan document, named “Gaza International Transitional Authority (GITA) Institutional Structure.” Of course, it includes a military unit, the “International Stabilization Force.” That sounds more civilized than, for instance, “Colonial Genocide Force”. The GITA genocide force would cooperate with Egypt, because driving surviving Gaza Palestinians into Egypt is clearly part of the Netanyahu genocide plan: “A core administrative and policy hub may be temporarily located in Amman or Cairo, depending on access and staffing feasibility.” It would also coordinate “route and venue security with the ISF [International Stabilisation Force] and Civil Police.”

It looks almost like mocking cynicism to propose an “International Stabilisation Force” whose abbreviation ISF is the same one used in English for the Israeli Security Forces, i.e., Israel’s armed forces. Or maybe just truth in advertising?

The governing body would include Muslim collaborators “to ensure regional legitimacy and cultural credibility, who have the political support of their countries but preferably long-standing business credibility.” It would report to the UN Security Council, which would directly implicate the UN itself in the genocide project. Since the UN Partition Plan of 1947 became the opportunity for the first nabka (catastrophe) – the expulsion of Palestinians – having the UN endorse the Final Solution in which Tony Blair would carry out the gruesome GITA project (Israel seizing even more land not authorized even by the Partition Plan) would be a grim historical symmetry.

The document has the inevitable bureaucratese about services to be maintained and functions to be performed. All fluff on a colonial project directed by Israel with kickbacks to the Trump family. One of the more bitterly cynical lines declares that there will be a property Rights Preservation Unit that will ensure “that any voluntary departure of residents from Gaza during the transitional period is documented, legally protected, and does not compromise the individual’s right to return or retain property ownership.” (my emphasis)

Given Israel’s permanent disregard of the right of return for Palestinians since the original nakba – a right specified by the UN General Assembly in 1948 -  it seems like putting the “right to return” in this document is also downright cynical.

The document even suggests particular members for the GITA colonial governing board, including Aryeh Lightstone. Liza Rozovsky gives this sketch of four leading figures being floated for board, including Lightstone:

Sigrid Kaag – UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process

Marc Rowan – CEO of the investment company Apollo Global Management

Naguib Sawiris – Egyptian billionaire

Aryeh Lightstone – Heads the Abraham Accords Peace Institute in D.C.; involved in establishing the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (2)

Wait, surely there will be a place for Trump’s real estate buddy and Special Envoy to Everywhere Steve Witkoff on that board! And what about Jared Kushner? Ole Jared has to be a board member!

Of course, there will be Palestinian representation. As long as it completely compliant with Israel’s government. Rozovsky:

Below them will be the Palestinian Executive Authority, which will handle implementation on the ground and will thus be the body actually providing services to Gazans. It will not be part of the PA, but rather a "professional, neutral" body whose CEO will be appointed by the international board.

Essentially, this is similar to the technocratic government proposed by Egypt in the governance plan it unveiled it March. But under Blair's plan – which the Israeli source said is backed by the White House and hasn't been ruled out by Israel – this body would will have no independent authority. Instead, its policy would be completely subordinate to that set by the board. [my emphasis]

What could possibly go wrong?

This report from the conservative Times of London raises, uh, doubts about the Viceroy Tony Blair idea, starting at 19:14 in the video: (3)

Notes:

(1) Landale, James & Mitchell, Ottilie (2025): Tony Blair in discussions to run transitional Gaza authority. BBC News 09/26/2025. <https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3drmk95xlzo> (Accessed: 2025-26-09).

(2) Rozovsky, Liza (2025): Draft of Tony Blair's Gaza Plan Outlines Remote Governance, Little Palestinian Representation. Haaretz 09/28/2025. <https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-09-28/ty-article/.premium/draft-of-tony-blairs-gaza-plan-remote-governance-little-palestinian-representation/00000199-91bb-d0f3-a599-d7fbbde80000?gift=5e5db339853943149c057a7fcd38eb9e> (Accessed: 2025-26-09).

(3) Tony Blair will never be accepted as interim leader of Palestine. Times Radio YouTube channel 09/26/2025. <https://youtu.be/PMYZ2mhuVkM?si=cIcJahIHhZpP0NEZ> (Accessed: 2025-26-09).