Tony Blair in Gaza | Comment

The reprehensible terrorist attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians on October 7 creates all sorts of political implications and consequences exacerbated by the military offensive promoted by Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in the Gaza Strip.

Beyond the current ceasefire, in the midst of a crisis, the United Kingdom should take advantage of this tragic and unpredictable situation to consolidate its strategic positions in the Middle East and, equally, contribute to establishing a direction for the current political process based on their own interests and aspirations.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, on the other hand, faces a US government that fears an escalation of the conflict and a new war environment than the ongoing war in Ukraine against Russia, on the other hand, a more reliable and predictable partner for the Netanyahu-led regime, an internal crisis and a growing need for allies internationally.

Former Prime Minister David Cameron’s return to the forefront of British politics, now Foreign Secretary, may not be unrelated to the development of the war against Hamas. But this unexpected return may not have been the only attempt made by Great Britain in recent days, at least given the situation in the Middle East, it may not be the most appropriate.

“Humanitarian Coordinator”

On November 12, Netanyahu’s proposal to appoint Tony Blair as “humanitarian coordinator” in Gaza emerged. The invitation of the former prime minister, who was identified as one of the key figures responsible for the 2003 invasion of Iraq over the alleged discovery of weapons of mass destruction, is still under analysis.

Between 2007 and 2015, Netanyahu wants to draw on Blair’s extensive experience as a representative of the Quartet, which includes the United Nations, the United States, and Russia, with the aim of defusing the growing international backlash to the attack on Gaza. and the European Union. To monitor the peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

Therefore, Blair’s emergence as one of the new actors as head of his influential Institute for Global Change does not appear to be a small step in the broader pact maintained by the governments of Israel and the Kingdom, particularly of a military nature. United today

Today the company is a truly international company, with more than 800 employees distributed in more than 40 countries. Its turnover corresponds to the turnover of a company with a global horizon: in 2021 it received 80 million dollars (78% more than the previous year) from its consultancy, advisory and basically political lobbying work.

Power and influence

Practically everything today Installation The British recognize Blair as one of the key figures in expanding and strengthening the United Kingdom’s international relations. In fact, there are many politicians who claim that Blair rivals Sunak in power and influence through the global structure created by the Institute.

As a company, the company receives contributions from big business and, mainly, from governments interested in expanding access to sources of power in London and major European and Asian capitals, but also wants to improve their international profile. If their efforts are affected by complaints of human rights violations.

The precedent-setting case was based on Blair’s ties to the government of Saudi Arabia and entities closely associated with the Islamic monarchy, such as PetroSaudi, and was highly critical of Blair.

Despite being indicted in the 2018 murder of Turkish-American journalist Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi embassy in Istanbul, the company continued to receive funding from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Five years after that crime, the agency appears to have undertaken important work to restore bin Salman’s relations with major Western powers. It contributed to establishing Arabia as a structural factor in the regional politics of the Middle East and as a driving force in its major economic and commercial aspects.

JP Morgan Bank

Blair’s intervention in the conflict in Gaza will not be complete, while his parallel performance as the head of the international board of the major US banking giant JP Morgan Chase, in its projections, has already been established. The war against Hamas will hit the Israeli economy particularly hard from mid-2024 onwards. Undoubtedly, this raises the possibility of substantial loans to the Israeli government in the coming months.

But Blair’s role in the current crisis in Gaza is not only his international role, but also representing the United Kingdom’s interests in the ever-conflicting Middle East situation.

The former leader of the “Third Way” has not abandoned his former political activities and currently works as a special adviser to the leader of the Labor Party, Keir Starmer, and, according to most polls, if he is the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Finally Sunak can be transferred from that position in the next parliamentary elections.

Blair’s specific task was to promote reconciliation between the Starmer and Netanyahu administrations, removing lingering doubts about the new Labor government for the Israeli political leadership. Jeremy Corbyn’s experience as leader of the party between 2015 and 2020 is still remembered with allegations of anti-Semitic behavior even against Labor MPs of Jewish descent.

Dialogue with Hamas

With Blair, it is clear that the United Kingdom will be at the forefront of future changes in the Middle East. Of course, his dialogue with the leaders of Hamas, and with the Arab world in general, will be central to the reshaping of relations with the Palestinian state that the Israeli government will have to face once it regains control of the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, as has happened in the past, the UK is once again poised to wield great influence in the Middle East, either alone or in alliance with the US and, crucially, for its own security of trade routes and interests in strategic oil and gas markets. But even more, in the face of the emergence of Russia and China, the two powers are increasingly involved in the political and economic reality of the region.