A leaked document, published by the Guardian newspaper, has revealed a list of names included in its twenty-page draft concerning the so-called “international transitional authority” to administer Gaza. Among the figures mentioned were Tony Blair, Marc Rowan, Naguib Sawiris, and Aryeh Lightstone — four names positioned as frontrunners for various roles, foreshadowing a disturbing plan for Gaza’s future.
The scenario evokes the memory of an Egyptian film from the early 2000s titled Citizen, Detective, and Thief. It seems that US President Donald Trump has assembled his own cast for Gaza: a broker, a criminal, a rabbi, and Sawiris.
The Broker: Marc Rowan
The “broker” is none other than Marc Rowan, the billionaire CEO of Apollo Global Management, a financial giant managing more than $733 billion in assets, much of it linked to Saudi investments.
Rowan, an American Jewish businessman whose grandfather taught Talmud at Washington University, has long maintained strong ties to Israel. He heads a major US-Jewish charitable foundation that supports Israel, leads the “Youth Renewal Project” in Israel, and serves as vice-chair of Darca Schools, an Israeli educational network operating across occupied Palestinian territories.
After 7 October 2023, Rowan openly declared his unwavering support for Israel, spearheading PR campaigns to cut funding from US universities that allowed pro-Palestinian demonstrations. He demanded the dismissal of university leaders, including University of Pennsylvania president Liz Magill, for tolerating protests.
His closeness to Trump even positioned him as a candidate for US Treasury Secretary in Trump’s current administration, before the role was ultimately given to another Trump ally, Howard Lutnick.
The Criminal: Tony Blair
The “criminal” is former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair — remembered for leading, alongside George W. Bush, the illegal invasion and destruction of Iraq, and for his complicity in the killing of thousands of innocent civilians.
After leaving office, Blair quickly became an adviser to UAE ruler Mohammed bin Zayed, helping design the Emirates’ counter-revolutionary strategies to crush Arab Spring uprisings and deepen authoritarian control across the region.
Recently, leaked emails published by Drop Site News revealed a 2015 exchange between billionaire Larry Ellison (now the world’s richest man) and former Israeli UN ambassador Ron Prosor, concerning grooming US politician Marco Rubio as a pro-Israel figure. These emails referenced meetings arranged by Ellison between Rubio and Blair for Israeli interests.
Ellison, now the owner of TikTok and a major donor to the Israeli occupation army, later poured up to $350 million into Blair’s institute. With the mediation of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Ellison’s company Oracle partnered with Blair in his latest mission — to act as a new “governor” for Gaza.
In a call with investors, Ellison reportedly argued that Blair’s success, and Trump’s plan, depends on using artificial intelligence to monitor police officers and control civilians through constant surveillance — a service Oracle is ready to provide.
The Rabbi: Aryeh Lightstone
The “rabbi” mentioned in the Guardian document is Aryeh Lightstone, an American Orthodox Jew and staunch Zionist. Trump appointed him during his first term as senior adviser and chief of staff to then-US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman.
Lightstone played a central role in Israel-centric policies between 2017–2021, including the US embassy move to Jerusalem, the recognition of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights, and the Abraham Accords normalisation deals with the UAE — working closely with Jared Kushner.
In 2020, Trump appointed Lightstone as director of the $3 billion Abraham Fund, aimed at financing projects in the Middle East, with Israel as the primary beneficiary. By 2021, he became head of the Abraham Accords Institute for Peace, describing his mission as “a front-row seat in history to serve Israel both religiously and politically.”
Sawiris: The Egyptian Tycoon
Finally comes Naguib Sawiris, the Egyptian billionaire with a long record of controversial ties to Israel, the United States, and Tony Blair himself.
In 2016, The Times reported that Blair persuaded Sawiris to invest in a Caspian Sea resort project while advising the Kazakh government. In 2017, Sawiris travelled with Blair to Côte d’Ivoire to congratulate President Alassane Ouattara, while lobbying for a deal to acquire a 25% stake in the Ity gold mine.
Egyptian media outlets have also noted Blair’s personal closeness to Sawiris, attending his son’s lavish wedding at the Giza Pyramids in 2020 and previously flying on Sawiris’ private jet.
Sawiris’ company Mobinil was accused in 2011 of spying on behalf of Israel, while other ventures have cooperated with the US Department of Defense. Now, he is being positioned as part of Gaza’s imposed “new administration.”
A Failed and Illegitimate Plan
A broker, a criminal, a rabbi, and Sawiris — these are the names being touted as Gaza’s new rulers. How can such figures, drenched in corruption, war crimes, and collusion with Israel, ever bring justice or relief to a people enduring genocide and starvation for nearly two years?
This plan is doomed to fail. Its nominees are illegitimate, its ideas are designed only to serve Israel, and it will never be accepted by the free Palestinian people — even if imposed by the powers of the world.
