"The emergence of Tony Blair as a potential Gaza interim consul and member of Donald Trump's board of peace marks his latest reinvention as a would-be power broker in the Middle East. As a key architect of the disastrous invasion of Iraq, a promoter of a simplistic interpretation of Islamist extremism as the world's main security challenge and a figure who has been accused of intertwining his own business interests with his political advocacy, he is in some ways a perfect fit for the new Trump era."
"His years in Jerusalem working for the Quartet on the Middle East representing the UN, EU, US and Russia were viewed at best as a moderate success by diplomats while Palestinians saw him as an impediment to their efforts to advance statehood. He was appointed with the backing of the then US president, George Bush, and the former UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon, but the EU and Russia were less enthusiastic. Blair's role from the beginning was somewhat toothless, focused largely on economic development, and Palestinian officials complained he was more sympathetic to Israel."
Tony Blair is offering himself as a Gaza interim consul and a member of Donald Trump's peace board while projecting confidence as a Middle East broker. His record includes leadership of the Iraq invasion and a tendency to frame Islamist extremism simply. Years as Quartet representative in Jerusalem produced mixed diplomatic assessments and Palestinian complaints that he impeded statehood. He received US and UN backing but faced EU and Russian reservations. He prioritized economic development, was seen as sympathetic to Israel, and supported a boycott of Hamas after the 2006 elections, contributing to later Gaza crises.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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