Crikey! Words I thought I’d never write. Here is Blair quoted on the BBC News website:
Mr Blair, who represents the UN, EU, US and Russia in the Middle East, said he believed discussions between Egypt and Hamas about halting the supply of arms and money to militants in Gaza were critical to securing a ceasefire. There needed to be "clear, definitive" action to bring this about, Mr Blair said, adding that he thought all sides were willing to discuss this.
Which is exactly what the supporters of Israel have been saying all along – that it is the actions of Hamas which precipitated this crisis, and it is only the actions of Hamas that can stop it, which brings us to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Blair has more perceptive words:
Mr Blair, who has met Israeli leaders and senior Palestinian officials in recent days, called on Hamas to work towards a ceasefire to end the "appalling suffering" in Gaza.
"If they truly do care about about people in Gaza, there is a possible way that would have an immediate cessation of hostilities and that is obviously what any responsible person should try and achieve.
"For anyone living in Gaza, it is hell. It is bound to be. You are have got a situation where you are in an effective war zone."
But do Hamas really care about the people of Gaza. They deliberately site their military installations in areas of high population density, they provoke war with Israel, and they make slogans such as “We love death more than you love life”. Hardly the actions of a peace loving, innocent Gazan life protecting organisation.
Trevor Kavangah has an excellent piece on this in yesterday’s Sun.
The leader in today’s Daily Express says much the same thing.
Uncommon and relativley wise words from Mr Blair for a change, however I think Stephen Fry put it much more succinctly in a recent episode of Qi, with the simple 3 word phrase: “Religion. Shit it.”
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