Palestine: a new hope (sort of)

Israelis go to the polls today and some say Bibi is in trouble. He's not far enough right for many of his colleagues in the Likud party, and he hasn't gone down well with America recently after his shrill denunciation of Iran, a country with whom the Yanks would like to do business, especially since they have shown their willingness to fight "so called Islamic State" as the BBC now likes to call them. This opens the door to a slightly less right-of-centre party which might make a tiny difference to the political complexion of Israel.


Israelis talk about the "banana of hate" that surrounds them: Iran, Jordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt. And it's true these countries don't approve of the Israeli state in general and their treatment of the Palestinian people in particular, though they might be a little better disposed if the latter were granted some of the human rights they have been denied for so long. Part of the problem is the refusal of the "banana states" to even officially recognise the existence of Israel. If they did, and it's an awfully big "if", the door might just open a crack to allow the light of dialogue creep into the negotiating room. At present that door is slammed shut and securely locked.


However it isn't all doom and gloom on the West Bank. Much vaunted (mainly by himself) Middle East peace negotiator Tony Blair has found himself losing support from the "Quartet" which currently pays him a large sum of cash every year for doing approximately nothing at all beyond lining his own capacious pockets, and is now thinking of withdrawing from his current role. Apparently he's trying to re-tool his job description out there. Good luck with that. With any luck he'll be gone soon and they can maybe begin something halfway constructive. When I last visited the West Bank few people had even heard of him and the ones that had said he has never once done anything of value for the Palestinians. So farewell, Tony: you'll be sorely missed by, absolutely no one.