EJP | In Depth | Blair calls for “reappraisal” of Mideast strategy

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Blair calls for “reappraisal” of Mideast strategy

Updated: 02/Aug/2006 17:03

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British prime minister Tony Blair has said he believes that there is a need for the world to “reappraise” its Middle East strategy in order to win the battle against extremism.

Speaking to an audience of more than 2,000 people at the World Affairs Council in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Blair said he believed the current conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is “in part a struggle between what I will call Reactionary Islam and Moderate, Mainstream Islam.”

"Unless we reappraise our strategy, unless we revitalise the broader global agenda on poverty, climate change, trade and in respect of the Middle East, bend every sinew of our will to make peace between Israel and Palestine we will not win and this is a battle we must win," Blair said.

He noted that: “In the end, even the issue of Israel is just part of the same, wider struggle for the soul of the region. If we recognised this struggle for what it truly is, we would be at least along the first steps of the path to winning it. But a vast part of the Western opinion is not remotely near this yet.”

Hezbollah provocation

The prime minister said that he had planned the basis of his speech “several weeks ago” and “The crisis in the Lebanon has not changed its thesis. It has brought it into sharp relief.”

But he immediately commented on the situation between Israel and Hezbollah.

"The purpose of the provocation that began the conflict was clear,” Blair said. “It was to create chaos, division and bloodshed to provoke retaliation by Israel that would lead to Arab and Muslim opinion being inflamed not against those who started the aggression but against those who responded to it."

“What is happening today out in the Middle East, in Afghanistan and beyond is an elemental struggle about the values that will shape our future.

“But its implications go far wider. We are fighting a war, but not just against terrorism but about how the world should govern itself in the early 21st century, about global values.”

Alongside America, the British leader has remained steadfast in his belief that it would be wrong to expect Israel to stop fighting Hezbollah without a guarantee that Hezbollah will disarm. This view has been countered by much of the European community who have called for an immediate ceasefire.

Understand Israel

Blair’s speech was made on the final leg of his American tour which included talks with US president George Bush.

In it he stressed the need to understand Israel’s position.

“I, and any halfway sentient human being, regards the loss of civilian life in Lebanon as unacceptable, grieves for that nation, is sickened by its plight and wants the war to stop now. But just for a moment, put yourself in Israel’s place. It has a crisis in Gaza, sparked by the kidnap of a solider by Hamas.

“Suddenly, without warning, Hezbollah who have been continuing to operate in Southern Lebanon for two years in defiance of UN Resolution 1559, cross the UN blue line, kill eight Israeli soldiers and kidnap two more. They then fire rockets indiscriminately at the civilian population in Northern Israel.

“Hezbollah gets their weapons from Iran. Iran are now also financing militant elements in Hamas. Iran’s President has called for Israel to be "wiped off the map". And he’s trying to acquire a nuclear weapon. Just to complete the picture, Israel’s main neighbour along its eastern flank is Syria who support Hizbollah and house the hardline leaders of Hamas. It’s not exactly a situation conducive to a feeling of security is it?”