Why Tony Blair could never succeed in the Middle East

As Middle East envoy for the Quartet, his remit was always much more narrow.

 

From the outset, his role was to promote economic development in the Palestinian territories: the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied West Bank.

 

Two years ago, Mr Blair’s office was given the task of devising a $4bn (£2.7bn) growth and investment plan, designed to accompany a new US-led push to forge a political settlement between Israel and the Palestinians.

 

But economic development and the peace process go hand in hand, with the former almost always hostage to the latter.

 

In the absence of a political breakthrough, there were always severe limits on what Mr Blair’s office could achieve.

 

Read More: BBC News – Why Tony Blair could never succeed in the Middle East