AxisMundi Jerusalem
Inside Israel and the Palestinian Territories
Tony Blair assailed at a Palestinian mosque
Tony Blair, the Middle East envoy for the “Quartet” of powers – the European Union, the United States, Russia and the United Nations, was assailed by a Palestinian man during a visit to a mosque in the West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday.
“You are terrorism,” the man shouted as guards tried to cover his mouth. “He is not welcome in the land of Palestine.”
Blair did not appear to be shaken. He told reporters most Palestinians and Israelis want a peaceful resolution to the conflict. “Frankly it’s not protests that will do that. It’s patient negotiation,” he added.
Read more about the incident and why many Arabs don’t like the former British prime minister here.
Click below to watch the incident, filmed live at the ancient mosque of Hebron on October 20, 2009:
PHOTO: Middle East envoy Tony Blair passes through an Israeli checkpoint during his visit to the West Bank city of Hebron October 20, 2009. REUTERS/Nayef Hashlamoun
Awkward Silence
We’ve all had them. You’re with a friend, or a colleague and suddenly the conversation runs into a cold stop. The dreaded awkward silence can roll in like an icy fog.
When it happens to us, it’s uncomfortable enough. But when it happens to world leaders, a television camera is there to capture the quiet.
It seemed as though there was an ever so brief lull in conversation Tuesday when Middle East Quartet envoy Tony Blair met Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli Defence Ministry had arranged a photo opportunity. It’s not uncommon in these situations for the subjects of the photo op to engage in chit-chat or exchange greetings, but Blair and Barak stood together awkwardly for a moment staring down the lens of a pool video camera just a few feet away.
A veteran of thousands of such photo ops, Tony Blair broke the silence and asked Barak if the Israeli minister had just delivered a Passover holiday greeting in the hallway before their meeting. It’s just the type of banter experienced subjects of photo ops engage in.
Perhaps Barak didn’t hear the quick-speaking Blair correctly. Barak seemed to take the question as a prompt to deliver a Passover holiday greeting, which he proceeded to deliver directly to the camera.
Obviously Tony is much more comfortable talking with Hamas and Hizbullah.
Bravo to the courageous Palestinian man unafraid to confront the war-mongering, apologist to US and British imperialism, Tony Blair. Blair is right on one count: there are people on all sides who really do want a real peace; peace with justice, that is, and not the alleged “peace” of a defeated people, quieted by exhaustion and military defeat. Shame on bully Blair and his old friend bully Bush. Yes, indeed, Olmert, Bush, Blair – to the Hague!