Hamas must be brought into peace process, says Tony Blair

The Times by Philip Webster | Feb. 1, 2009 (News Report)

Hamas must somehow be brought into the Middle East peace process because the policy of isolating Gaza in the quest for a settlement will not work, Tony Blair has told The Times.

The former prime minister implicitly criticises the strategy followed by the Bush Administration and Israel of focusing all peace and reconstruction efforts on the West Bank. “It was half of what we needed,” he said.

In an interview with Ginny Dougary in the ... Full Story »

Posted by Leo Romero

More Info

Tags Help
Subjects: World
Topics: Middle East, Israel, Palestine, United Kingdom, Gaza
Editorial Help
Posted by: Posted by Leo Romero - Jan 31, 2009 - 10:07 PM PST
Reviewed by: Leo Romero (review), Dwight Rousu (review), Randy Morrow (review), Patricia Blochowiak (review), Mary Pneuman (review), James Canning (review), Naomi Isler (review)
Edit Lock: This story can be edited
Edited by: Leo Romero - Jan 31, 2009 - 10:07 PM PST

Reviews

Show All Comments
Show All | Notes | Comments | Quotes | Links
Dwight Rousu
3.8
 by Dwight Rousu - Feb. 1, 2009

The story provides an update on the role and views of Bush's former lapdog from Great Britain. Blair is right about the need to include Hamas in the discussions, but the article does not delve much into whether Blair is credible anywhere in the world after Iraq and Lebanon.

Bush and Fatah unleashed Hamas via Fatah corruption and conspiring to wipe out Hamas. Hamas won democratic elections and are a reality that must be dealt with. Unless you want to team with Israel and try to slaughter them all.

See Full Review » (13 answers)
Patricia Blochowiak
2.9
 by Patricia Blochowiak - Feb. 2, 2009

Needs context. Blair is now verbalizing something he opposed in the past, and this was not mentioned.

www.ifAmericansknew.org

See Full Review » (18 answers)
Leo Romero
3.0
 by Leo Romero - Jan. 31, 2009
Leo posted this story.
See Full Review » (1 answer)
Randy Morrow
3.5
 by Randy Morrow - Feb. 1, 2009
See Full Review » (10 answers)
Naomi Isler
3.5
 by Naomi Isler - Feb. 2, 2009

The emphasis is on what Blair was saying now as opposed to what he was publicly apparently acquiescing in earlier is interesting. And the 'quartet' he now represents also has conditions for Hamas participation in talks. But his bottom line is correct: in a situation like this you need to talk to everyone.

I assume that 'everyone' also includes Egypt, which after all controls the other set of entry points (and tunnels) to Gaza, and which has been as unwilling as Israel to unseal the entries or unable to blow up the tunnels.

See Full Review » (7 answers)
James Canning
4.4
 by James Canning - Feb. 2, 2009

Blair calls for talking to Hamas but qualifies it by arguing that Hamas has not recognized Israel and therefor lacks in effect standing to negotiate. The Turkish prime minister calls for accepting Hamas as a fact on the ground, but this is not mentioned.

The Bush administration's stupidity in trying to isolate Hamas after it won the Palestinian elections the Bush administration had insisted by conducted, was the rankest form of hypocrisy and helped to create the murderous rampage carried out by the Israelis in Gaza recently. Hamas needs to be accepted as a fact on the ground, and Israeli hostility seen as self-defeating. I understand the murderous Israeli rampage in Gaza was set up by the Israeli National Security Council out of ... More »

See Full Review » (7 answers)

Comments on this story Help (BETA)

Sort by: Oldest | Newest Hide All Replies
NT Rating | My Rating

Ratings

3.6

Good
from 6 reviews (50% confidence)
Quality
3.6
Facts
3.6
Fairness
3.2
Information
3.8
Insight
3.0
Sourcing
3.0
Style
4.0
Accuracy
3.0
Balance
2.0
Context
3.3
Depth
3.0
Enterprise
3.0
Originality
2.0
Relevance
5.0
Responsibility
3.0
Popularity
3.6
Recommendation
3.8
Credibility
3.7
# Reviews
3.0
# Views
5.0
# Likes
1.0
# Emails
1.0
More
How our ratings work »
(See these related stories.)

Links Help

No links yet. Please review this story to add some!