UK probes US firm over Gaza ethnic cleansing charges
Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world's most influential management firms, has been asked to explain its role in a controversial "postwar reconstruction plan" for Gaza, which reportedly included financial modeling for the mass displacement of Palestinians.
Liam Byrne MP, chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, has sent a formal request to BCG seeking 'clarification and information' regarding its activities, particularly its collaboration with the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed group criticized for disguising forced displacement as humanitarian relief.
A report by the Financial Times revealed that BCG was hired to provide financial analysis for a postwar development plan. As part of the assignment, BCG reportedly calculated the cost of 'voluntarily' relocating hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, a proposal widely denounced by legal experts and human rights organizations as a euphemism for ethnic cleansing.
The investigation has also drawn in the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), whose staff reportedly took part in early discussions about the Gaza plan. Internal documents suggest that TBI shared a postwar scenario paper with BCG during the preliminary phase of the project. Although the institute has denied authoring or endorsing the proposal, its involvement has triggered public outrage, particularly given Tony Blair's contentious role in the US invasion of Iraq in 2003.
BCG has since disavowed the project, stating that the work was 'unauthorized' and that two senior partners involved have been dismissed. Nevertheless, Byrne has made it clear that the firm's explanations thus far are 'not sufficient".
He has demanded a detailed timeline of BCG's engagement, identification of all clients and collaborators, and full disclosure of any UK-based entities, including companies, NGOs, or think tanks, that may have been involved.
'Who commissioned or requested this work?' Byrne asked. 'Which individuals or entities did BCG engage with in this context? Is any such work ongoing or active in any form?'
BCG's ties to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation are now facing parallel scrutiny in the US. Senator Elizabeth Warren has requested a formal investigation by the State Department into GHF's funding sources, as well as into the transparency of BCG's internal review.
While BCG has not denied that some of its employees contributed to the financial framework of the plan, CEO Christoph Schweizer acknowledged in an internal message that the firm's involvement is 'deeply troubling and reputationally very damaging.'
The UK parliamentary committee has given BCG until 22 July to respond. In a short statement, the firm said, 'We are aware of the request from the House of Commons Business & Trade Committee. We are reviewing the request and are committed to responding.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LBCI
9 hours ago
- LBCI
US envoy urges Syria's Sharaa to revise policy or risk fragmentation
A U.S. envoy has urged Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa to recalibrate his policies and embrace a more inclusive approach after a new round of sectarian bloodshed last week, or risk losing international support and fragmenting the country. U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack said he had advised Sharaa in private discussions to revisit elements of the pre-war army structure, scale back Islamist indoctrination and seek regional security assistance. In an interview in Beirut, Barrack told Reuters that without swift change, Sharaa risks losing the momentum that once propelled him to power. Sharaa should say: "I'm going to adapt quickly, because if I don't adapt quickly, I'm going to lose the energy of the universe that was behind me," Barrack said. He said Sharaa could "grow up as a president and say, 'the right thing for me to do is not to follow my theme, which isn't working so well.'" Reuters
LBCI
9 hours ago
- LBCI
US envoy Tom Barrack's Lebanon meetings: Real progress or uncertainty?
Report by Raneem Bou Khzam, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi Amid heightened tensions and political uncertainty, questions loom over whether Lebanon is heading toward further escalation or a potential diplomatic breakthrough following a series of meetings between U.S. envoy Tom Barrack and Lebanese officials. While some political sources described the talks as positive, skepticism remains over whether the momentum can translate into concrete de-escalation on the ground. After a 90-minute meeting with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, Barrack described the talks as "great," with sources indicating the atmosphere was positive and a shift from the pessimism that dominated recent days. Still, it is too early to declare a breakthrough. Some of Barrack's other meetings were reportedly less encouraging. According to attendees, the envoy was left with the impression that Hezbollah remains firmly opposed to any handover of weapons and appears more inclined to risk war than engage in a diplomatic compromise that offers no concrete guarantees. Others who met with Barrack said he offered a hypothetical: if Lebanon requested a pause in hostilities and targeted killings and he conveyed that to the Israeli side, the likely response would be a flat rejection—possibly accompanied by a question: "Why should we give Lebanon such a pause?" With details of the talks tightly guarded, the situation remains opaque. In the words of Speaker Berri's now-famous expression, perhaps the best way to describe the moment is with "optimistic pessimism."
LBCI
9 hours ago
- LBCI
Selective accountability: Lebanese Parliament acts on Bouchikian amid demands for broader justice
Report by Maroun Nassif, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi In a rare and sudden move, the Lebanese Parliament is set to vote Wednesday on lifting the parliamentary immunity of MP and former Minister George Bouchikian, allowing the judiciary to proceed with an investigation into allegations of corruption, bribery, embezzlement, and extortion involving factory owners. The decision follows two meetings in recent weeks between the Parliament's Bureau and the Administration and Justice Committee, which led to the formation of a parliamentary investigative committee. That committee, comprising MPs Georges Adwan, Alain Aoun, and Marwan Hamadeh, has submitted a formal recommendation to the General Assembly to lift Bouchikian's immunity. The vote requires a simple majority—only 65 MPs need to be present, and just 33 votes are necessary to pass the motion, making approval all but certain. The anticipated move would mark a rare moment of accountability in Lebanese legislative history. The last time Parliament lifted a member's immunity was in 2000, when MPs Habib Hakim and Yehya Chamas faced legal proceedings. Before that, it was Chahé Barsoumian in 1999. While the decision is being welcomed as a positive step toward enabling judicial investigations, it has raised broader questions about selective accountability. Critics are questioning why the Parliament failed to act on similar requests from Judge Tarek Bitar in the Beirut Port blast case, specifically involving MPs Ali Hassan Khalil and Ghazi Zaiter—both of whom have long benefited from political protection. Observers note that Bouchikian's expulsion from the Armenian Tashnag party's parliamentary bloc may have made him an easier political target. The concern, they say, is whether the move signals genuine reform or simply a convenient exception. Calls for broader accountability persist. The Parliament is also expected to vote on the formation of a committee to investigate alleged corruption in the Telecommunications Ministry during the tenures of former ministers Nicolas Sehnaoui, Boutros Harb, and Jamal Jarrah. That effort also requires 65 votes, a number insiders believe can be secured. Still, activists and citizens alike are asking why the Parliament has not launched similar probes into numerous other allegations of corruption and public fund mismanagement involving former ministers from key portfolios such as finance, public works, energy, interior, foreign affairs, and the displaced. For many, lifting Bouchikian's immunity will only carry weight if it marks the beginning of a broader effort to hold all officials accountable—regardless of their political affiliations.
