The nomination of Tony Blair as an envoy to settle the festering Arab-Israeli issue is an ill-conceived initiative and doomed to fail. His record on Iraq will be the biggest obstacle to any initiative that he might start. He also recklessly spent British political capital in the Middle East as his government shifted to a blind pro-Israel policy and then tried to appease Saudi Arabia with the dropping of a corruption investigation of BAE Systems, Britain’s premier defence contractor, in exchange for a very large contract. (A new investigation is now underway in the United States as BAE Systems is also a significant vendor to the Pentagon and other departments of the U.S. government.)

Such a track record will cast a shadow on any efforts to be perceived as a neutral broker. Recent developments in the reopening of the Lockerbie bombing of Pan Am 101, digging up old innuendoes about the role Syria played, will be another obstacle to his efforts. At least this is how the Middle East will interpret the story.

The running police investigation into the Labour Party’s finances and the arrest of Lord Levy, Blair’s close friend and tennis partner, has already revealed connections with strong lobbies that steered his pro-Israel policies.

Quiet, behind-the-scenes negotiations led to the Oslo Agreement. If Mr. Blair has a genuine desire to put the Arab-Israeli peace efforts on an effective track, he ought to let go of his intensive media spin tactics. That might prove difficult for a man addicted to the short sound bites that carried him through the last decade. The complex heap of issues and problems amongst Middle Eastern countries is not something that personalities with style over substance can easily unlock.

The region needs a root-and-branch restructuring, including a realistic economic plan to sustain long-term peace. In such an effort, he ought to form a balanced negotiating team and seek the assistance of respected personalities known for their neutrality and will to pursue significant change. Mr. Blair should seek the assistance of reformers such as Kare Willoch and Michael Gorbachev. A two state solution must have a strong economic structure to look beyond temporary patches and short-sighted financial aid that will translate to a mere few dollars per Palestinian. As I wrote a few weeks ago, the creation of a UN Protectorate in Palestine will break the cycles of violence for both sides, create a transparent financial structure and set aside stale and corrupt practices. Without a significant protector and enforcer of peace, the final aim of a Palestinian state will remain a delusion.

Whether Tony Blair is able, or willing, to combine such significant components and formulate a genuine strategy is, at best, uncertain. Mr. Blair’s resume is full of unfinished tactical initiatives designed to get attention, not results.