Blair seeks "clever strategy" against Hamas

The Hamas "strategy" isn't really "clever." They just keep firing Qassams and play victim when Israel tries to fight back. It isn't Hamas cleverness that perpetuates the situation, but simply the fact that public pressure, some of it from the Israeli left, helps them. A "clever strategy" isn't required to defeat them, just a consistent one. The consequences for continued Qassam fire must be inevitable and unendurable for the Gazans. Now on to the convoluted dithering from Blair via AFP:

[...] "Hamas have a clever strategy, which is why I keep saying we need a clever strategy as well, which helps the people, isolates the extremists and points out the fact that if at any point in time the rockets stop, the whole situation will be transformed," Blair said.

The 54-year-old represents the so-called Quartet of major players in the Middle East peace process -- the European Union, Russia, the United Nations and the United States.

"This is a deal that could definitely be done, and it could definitely be done this year," Blair said. However, unless confidence could be restored between the two sides, the chances of a deal were thin, he added.

Blair said Bush was serious about sealing a deal before he leaves office in January 2009.

"The American engagement in this has altered significantly both in quality and quantity in the past two months, there is no doubt about that. When I saw him (Bush) in Jerusalem, he was completely up for it," Blair said.

"The question is, how do you create the circumstances on the ground where the Israelis get confidence that their security concerns are being met and the Palestinians get confidence that the occupation will eventually be lifted?" he said.

"Without that confidence about the state of the situation on the ground the negotiation becomes more difficult. Sometimes people have looked at this process as one in which if you cut the deal the facts on the ground will alter.

"In my view it is as much the other way around. Unless you can change the facts on the ground the deal becomes difficult to cut."

He said resolving the Arab-Israeli issue would boost the "forces of moderation".

"Resolving it would be a hugely symbolic act, not just between Israel and Palestine but Islam and the West between people of different faiths. There is nothing more important to world peace than resolving this question," he said.

"Linkage" again. There is linkage actually. The solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is democracy (including an electorate that won't vote for dictators) in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Tags: Israel, Palestinians, Blair, Gaza, Hamas