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Al-Masri: Actions, not words, are needed from Clinton and Blair

February 27, 2014 at 11:35 pm

The Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas, has called upon the US Secretary of State and the envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East to change their words on facilitating the movement of Palestinians and improving the living standards of people in the Gaza Strip into actions. His call was made to Hillary Clinton and Tony Blair in the light of what he called “the failure” of the siege to subdue the Palestinians and force them to relinquish their rights.

In a statements to Quds Press, Hamas leader Mushir Al-Masri criticised “the negative history of the relationship between Blair and Clinton on the one hand and the Palestine issue on the other”. He said, “We know that Blair and Clinton are not supposed to be positive about the Palestinians in particular and the people of the Arab-Muslim world in general.” Tony Blair, he stressed, represents a destructive element because he declared war on “our Arab-Muslim nation”. Blair’s open subservience towards US administrations past and present militates against him having anything positive to contribute towards justice for the Palestinian people, he added. “It can be argued that the beginning of the worst period in the peace process coincides with the start of Blair’s role as the Quartet’s envoy. And in that context, we believe that what is required from Clinton and Blair are actions, not words, of which we have had enough with no implementation.”


Al-Masri downplayed the importance of the statements made by Secretary of State Clinton last Thursday (February 11) that Blair should “intensify his partnership” with ex-Senator George Mitchell to revive peace negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians and to improve the living standards of the people of Gaza. According to Al-Masri, “This is an explicit admission by the Americans that they bear responsibility for the effects of the siege imposed on the Palestinians in Gaza for four years, which have killed hundreds and destroyed the Palestinian economy.” It is also, Al-Masri believes, an acknowledgement that the US opposes democracy when it conflicts with US policies, as the siege was imposed following the free and fair election of Hamas to the leadership of the Palestinians.