White House discusses Gaza’s future: Why Trump brought in his son-in-law and Tony Blair
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29 August 2025 3248 6 minutes
The appearance of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a White House meeting on August 27 to discuss Gaza’s future surprised many observers. Blair, who led the UK into the Iraq War and later spent more than a decade as a Middle East envoy, has often faced criticism over his role in regional diplomacy.
The substance of the meeting has not been made public, but Trump representative Steve Witkoff said in an interview with Fox News ahead of the event that the discussions would focus on the administration’s “comprehensive plan for Gaza once the war is over.”
At first glance, Blair’s presence may have seemed unexpected. While he remains a former world leader with extensive Middle East experience, Blair’s official work in recent years has largely centered on private business ventures and occasional public appearances.
Palestinian statehood could be at risk
Husam Zomlot, head of the Palestinian Mission in the UK, declined to comment on Blair’s involvement in the White House meeting. However, Blair is unlikely to inspire much confidence among Palestinians.
After stepping down from Downing Street in 2007, Blair served for eight years as the Middle East envoy for the Quartet—a coalition of the United States, Russia, the European Union, and the United Nations—tasked with mediating between Israel and the Palestinians. By the time Blair resigned in 2015, the Quartet was widely viewed as ineffective and lacking real authority.
Blair’s record as an envoy was also poorly received. While Palestinian leaders initially welcomed his appointment, relations quickly soured, and Blair came close to being declared persona non grata in Ramallah. Palestinian officials accused him of siding with Israel.
Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, said Blair’s presence at the White House might help Trump appeal to wealthy donors but would likely harm his credibility in the Middle East and internationally.
“His support for the Iraq War and financial and political ties with Middle Eastern leaders have weakened his reputation,” Telhami said.
Palestinians already distrust the Trump administration and its plans for Gaza, making Blair’s participation unlikely to ease their concerns.
In the UK, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey called on Blair to brief Parliament about the meeting and insisted Britain “must use every tool to push Trump to do the right thing.”
Trump’s “Riviera” vision for Gaza
Trump has previously floated the idea of putting Gaza under US control, relocating its residents, and transforming the devastated territory into a “Middle East Riviera.”
Earlier this year, he even shared an AI-generated video on social media depicting Gaza as a luxury resort crowned with a golden statue of himself.
One of the strongest proponents of this plan is Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Like Blair, Kushner currently holds no official role but was also present at the August 27 meeting.
Israeli media reported that Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer was in Washington the same week and maintains close ties with both Blair and Kushner.
Dermer played a key role in the 2020 Abraham Accords, which normalized relations between Israel and several Gulf states. The deal, spearheaded by Kushner, was widely considered a major achievement of Trump’s first administration. Dermer and Blair are also said to have worked together before and know each other well.
According to Telhami, Dermer has collaborated with Blair and Trump’s team on Gaza-related issues, but no Arab representatives were present at the meeting.
“There were no strong Arab participants, despite the fact that Gaza’s future deeply affects Israel’s neighbors. Wealthy Arab states will ultimately bear much of the financial burden,” Telhami said.
The “Riviera” concept was first raised during a meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, where it was widely condemned. Palestinian officials called it “a serious violation of international law,” while European leaders labeled it “unacceptable.”
Even so, Telhami argued that Blair’s involvement could lend weight to Trump’s plan.
“Blair makes it look like Trump is expanding his circle of advisers. Witkoff and Kushner are already there, but Blair brings international prestige,” Telhami said.
He added that rebuilding Gaza would require “massive funding,” and Blair’s financial and political ties to Gulf states could benefit Trump. Initially dismissed as an offhand comment by Trump, the idea has since developed into a more formal proposal.
According to the Financial Times, a detailed study proposing Gaza’s reconstruction and offering compensation to Palestinians for relocating from their homes was presented to the Trump administration.
FT later revealed that the project was designed by Israeli business leaders with financial modeling by Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Staff from Blair’s think tank, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI), also participated in discussions.
In documents submitted to the UK Parliament, BCG confirmed that one of its senior partners had assembled a team in violation of company protocols to analyze postwar scenarios for Gaza and had engaged with TBI in the process.
The institute stated that it speaks with many organizations about Gaza’s postwar future but was not involved in drafting the specific proposal. A spokesperson declined to comment on Blair’s participation in the White House meeting, saying only that the institute “has always worked toward building a better future for Gazans.”
“Tony Blair has been committed to this cause since leaving office. This has never been about relocating Gazans. TBI has never written, developed, or supported such a plan,” the spokesperson said.
With Gazans awaiting more details on Trump’s proposal, observers can only hope Blair delivered this message clearly to those gathered at the White House.
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